The Tale of the Kusanagi
by Soramel22
Summary: Sasuke and Tenten have both been forced into a marriage. They have never seen eachother before; he's from Japan, she from China. On top of that: she's a rich merchant's daughter and he's an honorable ninja. She did it for her father, he did it for the inheritance. Will this ever work out? Rated M for later smut.
1. Betrothal prt 1

A/N: Hi! I feel honored that you choose to read my story. This is my first fic. It has been on my mind for quite some time, but I didn't really have the courage to post it. (I actually didn't know how, hihi..). Anyway, get reading! I hope you guys enjoy it!

Chapter 1

**Sasuke and Itachi**

It was a cold night. The stars were shining bright in a cloudless full moon sky. Sasuke was standing by his window taking in the cool breeze, closing his eyes when the wind played with his hair. It was a calming night, an ideal time to think when one has troubles. He looked at the moon once more and turned around towards his desk to finish the paperwork he brought home.

He took a few steps away from the window when he heard a twig break behind him. It was a faint sound but being trained the way he was, he failed to ignore it. He turned around swiftly, only to see his brother Itachi standing in front of his window. Sasuke let out a relieved sigh and sat down behind his desk. Itachi followed and sat across him.

"Why don't you just act like a normal person and knock the door for once, like all other normal people do?" Sasuke asked. It was a rhetorical question; he didn't expect an answer and neither did Itachi give one.

"What's wrong, little brother?" Itachi mocked. "Scared?"

Sasuke scoffed.

"What do you want?" Sasuke finally asked. He knew his brother only shows up when it's something important. The two of them weren't real talkers but they have a certain amount of understanding and brotherly love for each other.

"I came to you to talk about the inheritance" Itachi replied.

Sasuke lifted his eyebrows ever so slightly, as a sign of interest. The Uchiha brothers weren't so keen on showing off emotions.

"I know you've been wanting to continue the family business all your life." Itachi continued. "I'm planning on changing father's mind and letting him choose you as his successor instead of me."

"And how are you planning on doing that?" Sasuke asked indifferently.

"I have my reasons." Itachi replied mysteriously. "Just be present at the family meeting next week. I'll set out my arguments and hopefully father will grant you the business."

"And why don't you want it?" Sasuke argued. He liked the idea of getting the business but he didn't like the idea that Itachi was practically giving him the company. There has to be something behind it.

Itachi stood up and smiled slightly. "I have my reasons," he repeated.

"Don't worry, little brother" he continued while turning around and heading towards the window. "I'm not pulling a trick on you and neither am I planning one. Just trust me."

Sasuke also stood up from his seat and followed his brother to the window.

"And Sasuke," Itachi added, while slightly turning his head to his brother. "Don't be late." He smiled a small smile, jumped on the window sill and leaped into the darkness.

"Hn..." Sasuke murmured and thought deeply. What was his brother planning on telling his father? Itachi was his favorite son and Uchiha Fugaku has wanted the company to fall into his hands ever since he was born. It would be hard to persuade him.

Sasuke took another deep breath from the cool air of the cold night and turned around to finish his paperwork.

**The family meeting**

In a relaxed pace, Sasuke walked towards his parent's house. Just like the night when he had that talk with Itachi in his study, the morning air was cold. It was the beginning of spring. The birds were happily chirping in the trees and the area was lusciously showing off its greens. He didn't bother to hurry; he was early and he enjoys walking in the peaceful village of Konoha. Most of the people were probably still in their morning slumber but the crowd was starting to form. Young kunoichi's and shinobi's who were still in grade school, hurriedly made their way to the academy. Sasuke smiled as he remembered his own time in the school. He was considered a prodigy back then but he never seemed to surpass his brother. Throughout his teenage life he has tried to impress his father by surpassing Itachi's standards but to no avail. Itachi was always a step ahead. Both men however, have made a decent living and one that every father would be proud of. Itachi was captain of the ANBU Black Ops, under direct command of Hokage Uzumaki Naruto and Sasuke was second in command of the Konoha Police Corps, the first being their father.

In the beginning Sasuke yearned to follow in his father's footsteps and take his place in the Corps only so he could finally beat his brother, but that time has passed. Having surpassed his puberty and entering adulthood with his 25 years of age, has changed Sasuke's perspectives. Now he only wants to protect Konoha and earn his place in the Uchiha household, still awaiting his father's approval.

He carefully slid open the rice paper door to his parents house, took off his slippers and walked towards the kitchen where he heard the noise of pots and pans hitting each other.

"Oh! Good morning, Sas-dear. You're early," his mother said. "Help me with the tea, now will you?"

His mother was busy cleaning the kitchen, returning the dishes to their proper places. She clearly had her hands full when Sasuke entered. The water in the kettle was already boiling and she nodded towards it when asking Sasuke to help her. Sasuke turned off the stove and put the kettle on the table.

"Thanks, hon" his mother said, while wiping some sweat off her forehead with an arm. "Now go to the meeting room, your father is there waiting. I don't believe Itachi has arrived yet. But you boys seem to just pop in without me noticing, so he might be there already. I'll bring the tea in soon."

Sasuke entered another room in the house and when he slid open the door he wasn't surprised to see that his brother was already sitting by the table. The Uchiha's were very punctual people and being early was one of their traits.

It was quiet in the room. The walls were adorned with bookshelves with the occasional painting disturbing the constant flow of books. In the middle of the wooden floored room was a long but short table. Being Japanese, they sat on flat pillows rather than chairs, his father sitting on the farthest end of the table while Itachi was sitting on his right. Sasuke walked towards his father, bowed and greeted him before he took his place on the left side of the table.

After a while Uchiha Mikoto entered the room with a tray of cups, a kettle with warm tea and sugar.

"Here we go," she said and put the tray in the middle of the table. She poured a cup of tea for everyone and sat down on the other end of the table, opposite to her husband. "It's not eight yet, but since everyone's here, why not get started already?"

It was quiet around the table. No one said a word; Fugaku was sitting with his eyes closed, his face set in a serious expression. Itachi was taking an eventual sip from his tea and Mikoto and Sasuke were just staring at their cup, waiting for Fugaku to say a word.

"We all know why we have gathered here today," Fugaku suddenly spoke. Everybody looked up to the leader of the Uchiha clan.

"Today is the day where the successor of the Uchiha clan will be chosen," he continued. "Because Itachi is the eldest child in this family, it is all but natural that he be chosen to lead the clan. Is there any objection to that?"

Fugaku didn't expect an objection; he was certain Itachi would take the responsibility. His son became captain of the ANBU Black Ops after all. But to his surprise, someone did object. But it wasn't Sasuke this time. If there were to be an objection, he'd expect it to be from his younger son because he knows that Sasuke has been craving the position. No, it was Itachi himself whom objected. Fugaku hid his displeasure well and looked at Itachi, inviting him to explain himself.

"I cannot continue the family business, father" he started. "Being captain of the ANBU has presented me with very little time for myself. Let alone to carry on the family traditions. And even if I wanted to, it would require I bring forth offspring which I cannot afford. Because of my importance to the Hokage, I might put my family in danger and I fear I might have no opportunity to lead the clan properly. I hereby suggest Sasuke to lead the clan. He has been in the Konoha Police Corps nearly half his life and has been under your supervision and guidance the whole time. I'm sure Sasuke has enough experience by now to know the responsibilities of being the leader of the clan."

Sasuke gulped. Everything his brother just said was absolutely true. But he wasn't sure if his father would accept his arguments. He just sat there, his eyes closed, obviously thinking very hard.

"Sasuke," he finally said. "Are you ready to take up the responsibilities?"

Sasuke was stunned. He didn't believe what he was hearing. Was his father seriously considering this?

"Y..yes, father" he stammered.

"Hmm..."

"Alright then," Fugaku spoke. "I shall grant Sasuke the honor of becoming the leader of the Uchiha clan, on one condition. Do you agree, Sasuke?"

"Yes father," Sasuke eagerly answered. He still couldn't believe his lifelong wish is finally being fulfilled. "Anything you say."

"Then, as my final decision, you will have to wed a woman of my choice. If you do not do so, you will not be granted leadership of the clan. Understood?"

Again, Sasuke didn't know what to say. His eyes widened and his heart stopped beating for a moment. He was speechless, he didn't expect this. But the leadership of the clan was more important to him than his own feelings, so his decision was made easily as well.

"Then so be it, father" he assured.

A/N: I hope this is a good start. Please Read and Review. It makes a writer feel good. My fellow writers know what I'm talking about ;) There's more to come! Reviews...please.. Arrigato gosajmas *makes a bow*


	2. Betrothal prt 2

**A/N: **Okay, I wanted to give you guys an idea of what my story's about, so I decided to post 3 chapters at once. Enjoy!

**Chapter 2**

**Tenten**

Behind a door, a young woman was peeking through her father's meeting. The men that arrived today seemed different than the soldiers or merchants she usually sees. And that was just the thing that attracted her to the strange visitors. By the language they speak, she realized that they must be Japanese. Her mother came from a family of merchants and traders, so she knew some foreign language aside from the usual Mandarin that she speaks.

TenTen could only hear fractions of their conversations but what she heard was good enough. She slowly closed the door, leaned against it and took a deep breath.

_'So, he finally found someone'_ she thought. _'He finally found someone who is worthy of me.'_ She tried to suppress her emotions as much as she could, but she found out that she couldn't take it anymore and rushed to her room. She threw herself on her bed and started crying.

"It's really happening…" she sobbed, "I really am going to be given away…"

Tenten kept crying for awhile and eventually stopped. She lay on her back and stared at the ceiling. Sometimes she'd turn around and stare out her window. She had a great view of the garden from her bedroom and she'd stare at the pond and the fish happily swimming inside it.

She sighed deeply and sat up in bed, while staring at her feet.

_'No use crying now,'_ she thought. _'We all knew this day was coming. At least now I can make father proud.'_

She picked herself up and freshened up. She knew her father would want to see her as soon as the visitors left, so she went to the kitchen, prepared some tea and waited for her father to summon her.

After a few hours, a servant scurried in the kitchen. She bowed when she saw TenTen and while remaining in that position she said: "The master has summoned for you, my lady."

"I shall be there shortly," she replied and the servant scurried away quickly.

Tenten put on a brave face and walked towards the meeting room. She opened the door, stood before her father who was sitting on a small pillow on the floor, drop to her knees to bow to him as a sign of respect and then raised herself. But her eyes were fixed on the mat; she didn't look at her father.

"You summoned me, father," she said.

"Yes, my daughter," he replied. "I have found you a suitable partner. His name is Uchiha Sasuke, a promising young man. He's the son of the clan leader and is soon taking on his father's responsibilities. He shall be the perfect match for you and together our families will be stronger."

To Tenten's father, everything was about power and strengthening the family. Her brothers were raised warriors, just like their father. And they too serve the Emperor of China. Tenten's family is a very well respected one. She is a descendant from one of the Emperor's personal royal guards. But her father's getting old. He wouldn't be able to keep it up for so long. So he trained his two sons as best as he could, so that one day, they too would serve the emperor and offer him their loyalty.

Tenten's father didn't have high expectations for his daughter, though. She was a woman and would never become a personal royal guard. All he saw in her was the possibility of stronger descendants but then only when the partner has been chosen wisely. So in short, to her father, a daughter served no other purpose then to be wed and to provide the family with stronger offspring.

Tenten was saddened by this thought. She wished her father saw her more as an individual, as a daughter than some kind of tool to the family. In the beginning she tried making her father see things through her eyes, but it never worked. And now she gave up and to make her father proud, she decided to just do as she was told.

"I suggest you pack up whatever you need now," her father continued. "I have arranged for you to leave tomorrow with the Uchiha messengers. So you could get acquainted with the Uchiha's younger son."

"Wait, what?!" Tenten exclaimed. She was furious! How dare her father make such arrangements without her consent? It may be his choice for a son-in-law but eventually it will be her wedding and her life! She wasn't ready to leave yet. Because she knew that soon after a wedding would take place and she would have to say good bye to her home, her mother…

"How can you decide this so quickly, father?" she asked roughly. "You could've asked for my opinion."

She had an angered look in her face and she was staring straight into her father's eyes. She never did that before, it was a sign of disrespect. But she was so angry now she forgot all about the boundaries between young ones and the elders. Her father noticed this very quickly and threw her a stare that anyone would choke in out of fear. Tenten quickly regained her composure, placed her hands on her knees and bowed her head as far down as she could.

"My apologies, father," she murmured. "I have no idea what I'm saying. And I understand that the choices you make are for my best."

Her father grunted.

"It has been decided," he said firmly."You may leave now."

Tenten remained where she was seated. She wasn't ready to go yet. Tears were prickling her at the back of her eyes but she wanted to be strong, so she held them back as much as she could.

"It shall be my wedding, father," she said softly. "And ultimately, it is my life. I may never return home. I wish to take something with me to remind me of my home in China."

Her father was quiet. It meant that he was listening with great care. It urged her to go on.

"I would like to take Phillip with me."

Her father's eyes widened. Phillip was a prized horse that they owned. A cross between an Arabian horse and a stallion. He's a dark brown beauty with milky white manes. It was a fast horse, young and healthy and they were planning on breeding more of its kind. He was reluctant to give Phillip away, but Tenten's his only daughter.

"Very well," he decided. "You may take Phillip with you."

"Thank you, father," she said humbly, her emotions nearly sounding through her voice. She placed her head on the mat and bowed in such a manner that her head touched her hands. Then she stood up without looking at him and left the room.

Once she entered her room, there was no stopping her tears. She ran to her bed and slowly cried herself to sleep. When she woke up, she started packing her bags. When she was finished, she looked for her mother to say her final goodbyes.

**A/N:** Read and Review please! I feel psyched about this opportunity. I've always wanted to write and publish. Thanks for reading! The next chapter will be posted soon.


	3. Arrival

**A/N: **As promised: my first three chapters. I'm still working on the next chapters, so it'll be awhile before I post again. But reviews will surely help! Enjoy!

**Chapter 3**

Two months after Tenten's departure the Uchiha's messengers and Tenten's delegation arrived in Konoha. Tenten wanted to meet the highest authority. The messengers excused themselves though; they wanted to report to Fugaku as soon as possible. They gave Tenten's guards the instructions to the Uchiha palace and left.

They sprung above the rooftops of the houses and swiftly landed in the garden of the Uchiha's clan leader. Fugaku was tending the bonsai trees and didn't look around when he heard his messengers land on the garden ground. They knelt with one knee on the ground and their heads bowed down, in respect for their leader.

"Your future daughter-in-law has safely arrived in Konoha, sir" one of them said. "She insisted on seeing the hokage. We left her guards with the instructions to the palace and they will come as soon as their visit is over."

Fugaku stopped watering his trees and slightly turned his head towards the messengers.

"Very well," he replied. "You may leave."

"Hai!" they said and left.

They jumped on the rooftop again and landed on the streets. Because the journey has tired them out, they decided to walk home to preserve the little energy they still had left.

They came across Sasuke and bowed their heads as a greeting.

"Tanto, Sora!" Sasuke said. "So, you have arrived. I assume my bride is in Konoha?"

"Hai, Sasuke-sama," the messengers said. "She insisted on greeting the Hokage first and shall

arrive shortly."

Sasuke seemed to think. He wanted to know more about the young maiden who will soon be his wedded wife. He, however, knew that his father had forbidden them from talking to him about his soon to be bride. But he wanted to give it a shot.

"How was the journey," he casually asked, trying not to sound obvious.

Tanto and Sora looked at each other nervously; they knew what Sasuke wanted to know.

"It went well," Sora said reluctantly. "We were delayed, though. Else we would have arrived a week ago."

"What caused the delay?" Sasuke asked out of genuine curiosity.

"Your maiden, Sasuke-sama," Tanto replied. "They're not ninja's and aren't used to leaping over the trees as we do. They used a carriage and horses. There were also some men on foot; guards ordered to protect her."

"I see," Sasuke said. He didn't want to torture the messengers any longer. He knew that they felt nervous about him asking questions when it was forbidden, so he let them leave. His bride will be arriving shortly. He will have to see what she looks like by himself.

Shizune ran up the flight of stairs to enter the hokage's office.

"Naruto-sama," she panted. "There is a visitor here to see you. It's Uchiha Sasuke's future wife!"

Naruto was having lunch on his desk and almost choked from the ramen he was eating when he heard the news. His face was flushed after he finished coughing. He wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his coat and nodded to Shizune to let the visitor in.

First two guards entered Naruto's office and afterwards a beautiful young lady came in. She had brown hair and matching eyes. Her hair was curled up in two buns on her head. It actually makes her look cute but the stern look on her face meant that she wasn't here for fun and games.

She had on a Chinese tunic from the finest white satin; it reflected the light away so prettily. And from the neckline till the tip of her shoulders were the typical buttons of a Chinese garment in wooden brown. Aside from the tunic, she wore loose cotton pants also in the color white. Sandals adorned her feet.

As is accustomed in both their countries, Tenten bowed in respect to the hokage of Konoha. Naruto bowed in return and urged her to take a seat. Without hesitating Tenten did so.

"I am honored to welcome you in Konoha," Naruto started. He wasn't sure of himself what to say at first. There was an awkward silence before he spoke. He had expected Tenten to introduce herself to him but she didn't. Instead she kept looking at him, waiting for him to say something first.

"No, no," Tenten rushed to say, "It is my honor to meet you, hokage. My name is Tenten, the daughter of a noble Chinese family. My father has arranged a marriage between me and one of your villagers; the heir to the Uchiha clan. The Uchiha messengers wanted to head straight to their leader but I insisted on meeting you first, since this is you village. But they were persistent in reporting to the head of the clan, so I let them go and decided to meet you by myself."

"Well, I'm glad that you've decided to meet me first, Tenten," Naruto replied. "My name is Naruto…"

Right at that moment, a young woman with hair so dark, it nearly looked blue, stepped into the room. The first thing Tenten noticed about her was her strange eyes. The young lady had pearl colored irises. Never in her whole life had Tenten ever seen such strange beauty. The combination of her midnight blue hair and her strange eyes gave her a kind of magical glow.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the young woman apologized. She had a light blush on her cheeks and started fidgeting with her fingers. "I will leave you to your business, hokage." She turned to leave but Naruto stopped her and walked towards her. She seemed surprised by this and flushed even more when Naruto held her around her waist and affectionately held her close to him.

"I would like you to meet our guest."

He guided the young lady towards Tenten and said. "Miss Tenten, I would like for you to meet my wife, Hinata."

Tenten stood up from her seat and shook Hinata's hand.

"Hinata, this is Tenten; Sasuke's wife to be."

"Oh…" Hinata said startled. "I'm very pleased to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine."

"You all seem like very nice people," Tenten continued. "And I would very much like to stay but the Uchiha's are expecting me and I need to be going now."

"But you've just arrived, you don't know your way around the village," Naruto protested.

"I agree!" Hinata jumped in. She thought real hard for a quick moment and made a decision.

"If you don't mind, Naruto," she said to her husband. "I would like to be her guide until she gets well acquainted with the village."

Naruto's thoughtful face brightened up immediately. He wasn't a very smart person, more a combat-professional but he countered that by making sure he's surrounded by many personal advisers. Shikamaru was one of them; a born tactician. Without his brilliance Konoha would've met destruction because of their hokage's decisions. So he was happy to know that Hinata was willing to take up the responsibilities.

Hinata smiled to her husband, and bowed. Even though they're married, Hinata still felt obliged to maintain the formalities.

"Now that everything's decided, hokage-sama," she said. "We shall take our leave. Tenten-san is expected in the Uchiha palace." Naruto nodded. He bowed his head for Tenten and said: "It was nice meeting you, Tenten-san. I hope that the marriage will be a success. I have to add, though. Sasuke is not an easy person to handle."

Tenten bowed in response and smiled. "Leave him to me," she replied. "I have my ways of persuasion."

**A/N: **Hope that was exciting! I'm a student in college, i have lots of work cut out for me (observations, papers and stuff). I hope you understand that posting will be a bit slow. But i will do my best! Review please! It will encourage me to keep on writing and you will get the continuation of this story as a reward ;) See ya soon!


	4. Getting Nervous

**A/N: **Okay so I forgot to add disclaimers to the previous three chapters. Sorry! It will never happen again. I hope you'll enjoy this chappie!

**Disclaimer:** I do not and never have owned Naruto. Although I would like to contribute to their plot ;)

**Tenten and Hinata**

Tenten sighed when she exited the hokage's office. She followed Hinata outside the building en took in a deep breath when she saw the clear blue sky. She stopped for a moment and sighed. She was tired, her muscles hurt from all that sitting; in fact she had trouble walking because staying in the carriage had cramped up her legs. She wanted a fresh shower and a nice bed to rest in. Easy to say that Hinata felt her tension. To Hinata Tenten looked very sad, but maybe that's just the fatigue talking.

"Tenten-san, are you okay?" Hinata informed.

"Yes," she replied. "I'm fine, Hinata. Just very tired."

Her servants opened the door to the carriage for her but Tenten waved it away.

"I think I'll be walking for awhile, guards," she said. She sounded a bit exhausted. "I need this walk and when we're close to the Uchiha palace, I shall step inside again."

The guards weren't very comfortable with her request. It was very uncommon and highly disrespectable for a lady of her status to walk alongside the carriage. But Tenten looked serious, as if she was never going to change her mind, so they did what she asked.

They slowly took a walk to the Uchiha palace. Tenten was enjoying it. Out here no one knew who she was so nobody offered her special treatment. Back in China, she was practically treated like royalty, but she never liked it.

_'It's nice to be treated like a commoner,'_ she thought. She did get weird looks, because she still wore traditional Chinese clothing, but at least no one came uncomfortably close to her to offer her a special kind of tea or something.

"Are you excited about the wedding?" Hinata suddenly asked. It was getting too quiet and she was starting to get a little uncomfortable. But then she realized that by asking that, Tenten might think that she was rude and it wasn't her place to ask about Tenten's private business.

"I'm sorry for asking!" she added hurriedly. "I don't mean to pry…"

Tenten smiled. "It's okay. Well… I can't exactly say I'm ecstatic about it, but it needed to be done and as the good and obedient daughter that I am, I didn't go against my father's wishes."

She sighed the last part and Hinata quickly noticed that Tenten wasn't happy about the arrangement.

She could relate to the young woman: she too had been under pressure by her father. Trying to live up to their expectations was a very hard thing to do, because they never seemed satisfied with whatever was accomplished. But Naruto took her away from that darkness and made her feel worthy again. Hyuuga Hiashi was very pleased knowing his daughter was to wed the hokage of Konoha and eagerly gave her away. But Tenten was about to get married to a man she never met before. This was not a very pleasant thought and she could imagine how scared Tenten must feel.

"I don't know if it's my place to say it, but you have nothing to fear, Tenten-san," Hinata said softly. She took Tenten's hand in her own and offered her a soft smile. "You don't have to be afraid of Sasuke-kun. I don't believe that he'll ever be able to hurt you or be mean to you. He has this obsession with honor, you know. And an honorable man will never hurt his wife."

Tenten squeezed her hand back and smiled. She found Hinata's gesture very kind and it did, at some level, put her at ease.

She might not be as scared as she used to be now, but she sure was nervous! What would her suitor look like? And all of a sudden, she became nostalgic and she had the intense feeling of leaving Konoha and run back to China, where she belongs.

"We're two blocks away from the Uchiha palace, Tenten-san," Hinata said. "I guess it's time for you to get into the carriage?"

_'I suppose it's too late to run back home now,'_ Tenten thought. She sighed once again and stepped into the carriage.

At the Uchiha palace, everyone was anxiously awaiting the maiden's arrival. Fugaku had his guards line up against the palace outside walls on the right and on the left. The Uchiha family was waiting inside, standing at the entrance of their home at the top of the stairs. They remained calm and were trying their best not to look around like idiots trying to spot the carriage.

And soon after, the family saw it. It was led by six horses, and slowly it came into the drive way. The Uchiha's were a little thrown back by the horses. They have never seen one before because hidden villages have never needed one. But they did hear from such a creature and it was very surprising seeing one this close.

Hinata walked up to the Uchiha family and took a deep bow.

"Konnichiwa, Uchiha-sama," Hinata said respectfully. Only after she greeted the family did she lift her upper body. She felt a little nervous now; the whole family was standing in front of her and all of a sudden Hinata had the creepy idea that Fugaku was a lot scarier than her own dad. But she took a deep breath and psychologically encouraged herself to be brave.

"Uhmm…," she stammered. She quickly swallowed an amount of saliva and continued to speak: "I am here to announce the arrival of the maiden of China that you have all been waiting for. The young lady felt the need to introduce herself to the hokage first and he in turn assigned me to be her guide through Konoha for as long as she wishes. May I introduce to you, the fair lady Tenten."

Hinata was moderately satisfied with her announcement. She had heard servants announce her to social meetings many times before. She just wished she wasn't so darn nervous; a trait she couldn't completely lose.

Tenten listened as Hinata introduced her. She was getting very nervous now; her hands were getting really sweaty. She couldn't see the family, due to the position the carriage was in (the horses were facing the family) so she had no clue whether the family will be nice to her or not. She was slightly hyperventilating and tried to take in deep, relaxed breaths. When Hinata gave her the cue to step out of the carriage, she took another deep breath and closed her eyes. She waited for her guard to open the door, opened her eyes, reached out for his hand and stepped outside.

This is now or never. Time to make daddy proud…

**A/N: **you gotta hate cliff hangers, huh. I know… But it's what makes a story so thrilling! Till the next chapter! R&R, please…


	5. Enchanted

**Chapter 5**

**A/N: **it's very late at night but I'm determined to finish this chapter. I read my first review today and it really boosted my motivation! Think of reviews as an energy drink, so to speak. I am grateful to those who have added this fic as their faves and to those who follow it. And I really appreciate the review. Thanks **DarkAnonymous324** for your reviews and the guest review by **Julianne. **I love you all, my precious readers! XD

**Disclaimer: **Mi no own Naruto

**Sasuke**

The first thing Sasuke saw were satin white flat shoes getting out of the carriage. He also saw fair ankles. He couldn't see the rest of her legs because she was wearing something long, almost like a dress. When she stepped out and the guard closed the door behind her, he finally saw what she was wearing.

It almost looked like a kimono but slightly different. She was wearing what Chinese people would call a hanfu. It was a simple dress (**A/N:** think more like Disney's Mulan). A soft brown colored hanfu with white silk trimmings and pink flowers printed on it. The fabric was so delicate, it almost made Tenten look fragile.

After her ankles and her dress, Sasuke noticed her hands, because she was reaching out for the guard's hand when she needed to step out. She had nice fair and long fingers. They seemed very soft. He didn't know for sure, because he had yet to touch them.

He quickly noticed that he was already charmed by this maiden. And he didn't even see her whole body yet! Everything about her just seemed so delicate and feminine. He was used to seeing and working with kunoichi's all over Japan and he didn't have time or felt the desire to meddle with townsfolk, so he didn't know what an unhardened woman looked like. He had to admit to himself that there were some very good looking kunuichi's out there but he never felt that first spark or charm for them.

And only when Tenten was fully out of the carriage, with the door closed and the guard retreating to his place, he saw her face. She didn't look at the family immediately, though. She kept her head down, looking at the ground while walking to Hinata and standing beside her.

'_She was raised well,'_ Sasuke thought, '_She probably grew up learning formalities and respectful gestures.'_

There was this grace to her that Sasuke found very attractive. She was walking, but it was like she was floating, gliding in air. What was happening to him? Where did these weird thoughts come from? He started to feel very uncomfortable.

She had her hair done in two buns on each side of her head. It was clear that she had a tiring journey, because her buns were a little messy with strands falling down her forehead. And when she finally looked at the family, he saw the same thing in her eyes. But, aside from the fatigue, that was shading her beauty; her eyes were of a clear brown color. They reminded him of fresh water flowing in a forest's stream.

Her hair had the same color and the hanfu complimented her looks well. In short; she was really good looking, even if she wasn't at her very best.

**Tenten**

Tenten was very nervous. By trying to keep her mind clear, she was attempting to rid herself of her anxious feelings. When she stepped out of the carriage, she didn't have the courage to look the family in the eye and was grateful that she didn't have to do that yet. It gave her a little more time to think about what she was going to say.

As she was walking towards Hinata and stopping beside her, Tenten had her 'speech' ready. She just hoped that she wouldn't forget it and come out blabbering nonsense instead.

She lifted her head and took a brief look at the family. Then she bowed; her hands on top of each other while they rested on her lap.

"Konnichiwa," she spoke. "My name is Tenten. I am the daughter of Xiao and Ling. I come from Hong Kong, China. And I am here because my father and the head of the Uchiha family have arranged a betrothal between myself and a son of the Uchiha family. I have come here to introduce myself. My father wished for me to get acquainted with the Uchiha son before we wed."

She was very diplomatic, speaking to the Uchiha family like they were her father's business relations. She had done that several times before, when she needed to excuse her father because he was sick, unavailable or traveling for business. She made sure she didn't look into their eyes for too long; that would be considered disrespectful.

After her speech, she bowed again. She kept her gaze to the ground and waited for the head of the Uchiha clan to speak. Part of her was glad she didn't have to speak anymore. She didn't know if she could. The journey was starting to take its toll.

Fugaku stepped forward, Mikoto right behind him. They both walked towards Tenten and only stopped when they were a half meter away from her.

"I am very honored of having you here," Fugaku said. He was trying to hide his excitement. He had been waiting for Itachi to find a suitable wife but that obviously won't happen any time soon, so he was glad when he realized Sasuke was ready to wed. Even if it meant that he only did it for the family inheritance. Mikoto took Tenten's hands into her own, squeezing them lightly, just like Hinata used to.

"Welcome to the family," she said warmly. "Come on in. There are people you should meet."

Fugaku and Mikoto lead Tenten up the stairs. She knew she would finally meet her suitor. She couldn't take a good look at the two sons of the Uchiha's when she gave her speech plus she didn't know which one was going to be hers! So frankly she had no clue who her suitor was and what he looked like exactly. But now she'd be seeing him from up close. She had never felt this nervous in her life.

"Tenten, meet our son Sasuke, your future husband," she heard Mikoto say. She lifted her head up and looked Sasuke in the eye and for the first time, she felt calm. Those dark eyes have taken her away. To a place quiet and peaceful. His hair was just as dark, parted in the middle and falling down the sides of his face. He was very handsome and she stopped breathing for a moment. She was surprised he wasn't taken yet; usually men like him are the first to go. But at the same time she was a bit distrustful; handsome men don't tend to be loyal.

He was looking at her as if he was seeing a female for the first time; in awe and admiration. And did she note a hint of unease? Could it be that he too might be nervous?

**Sasuke**

There she was, standing before the Uchiha family, speaking to them with grace. He couldn't hear a thing she was saying because he was too busy silently admiring her. Itachi noticed his interest and smiled. He nudged his little brother, who only looked back and chuckled softly. When his parents lead Tenten up the stairs, getting closer and closer to him each minute, his heart started to beat faster and faster with every step she took. And when she stopped before him, looked him in the eye, he was wondering if his heart was still beating. Because it suddenly got very quiet in his head as he saw her face clearly. She was very beautiful, despite the long journey. He wanted to touch that delicate face but at the same time he felt paralyzed. Is this even normal?

Tenten bowed and said: "Konnichiwa, Sasuke-sama. It is nice to finally meet you."

Sasuke bowed in return but never took his eyes off of her.

"The pleasure is all mine. And please, just call me Sasuke. I don't see the need for you to use honorifics on me."

Tenten smiled.

"As you wish… Sasuke."

**A/N: **Okay, I hope that wasn't too cheesy. The idea was that Sasuke was to be enamored by Tenten and that this silent bond has been made between them, even if they might not know of it yet. Read and review please! Gives me the push I need to keep on going ;)

Till the next chapter!

**PS:** I'm having some trouble: this site got blocked by my network operator and I don't know how to unblock it. So now I have to go to the internetcafe just to post a chapter. Can anyone help relieve me from this problem? Untill this is relieved, I won't be able to post as fast as I intended. I hope you all understand... :(


	6. Getting To Know You

**Chapter 6**

**A/N:** Had an awesome observation at the elementary school I used to attend, today. Seeing my old teachers felt good! It's been 12 years since I graduated from there.

Also, I would like to thank **BlackRoseDragon13 **for her pointers and support. I really appreciate it and I'll try to keep my grammar in mind (cuz sometimes I don't see my own mistakes).

Once again, I am happy you all decided to stick around for my story so here another chapter. Enjoy!

**Update 21/3/13:** I don't know what I did, but I managed to unblock the site! I've had this chapter 'in stock' and was planning on posting it next week but I'm so happy, I decided to post today! Warning: I don't have any more chapters 'in stock', meaning I'm gonna have to write. It'll be awhile before I post because I have some tests coming up soon. Enough about me, enjoy this chapter!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto (Too bad…)

"Okay everyone, let's come in and have some tea," Mikoto said joyfully. She ushered the guest and her family in the home but Tenten hesitated a bit.

"I'm very sorry, Uchiha-sama," she said apologetically. "But I would like for my guards and the horses to be attended to. They are all very tired and I won't feel at ease if they did not get their well deserved rest."

Mikoto was impressed when she heard her say that. '_What a gentle soul,'_ she thought. '_That's exactly what an Uchiha needs; someone to tame them or soften their hardened hearts. This girl will be perfect for Sasuke.'_

She hurried down the stairs and clapped in her hands. Immediately, a servant scurried towards her. She whispered something to him. He nodded his head and urged the guards to follow him, taking the horses with them.

Tenten smiled when she saw that. She felt that she could trust her soon-to-be mother-in-law and that her people would be in great hands. Mikoto hurried up the stairs again and smiled at Tenten.

"I can't thank you enough for your kindness," Tenten said gratefully and she made a small bow.

"It's okay. Everything has been settled. Now let's go inside," Mikoto continued.

Everyone, including Hinata, joined the Uchiha family for tea and some biscuits. It was mostly formal talk about business and a little bit of Uchiha history. Tenten did her best to make a good first impression but she found it hard to concentrate and be interested when she's that tired. Her attention started flailing but she never complained.

The Uchiha's however, noticed everything. You can't expect something like that to slip their attention. Mikoto gave the formal talk a different direction, in such a manner that she was able to take Tenten out of the living room and into the guestroom. Hinata was still by Tenten's side.

"I know you must be tired," Mikoto said. "You go take a rest now. We shall continue all of this tomorrow."

"I can't thank you enough for the warm welcome," Tenten said and made another bow. Mikoto smiled at that and left the room.

When Hinata and Tenten were alone, Tenten dropped on the bed out of exhaustion. She couldn't take it much longer. Hinata felt sorry for the girl but somehow she knew Tenten was a strong woman and that the last thing she needed was pity. Instead, Hinata excused herself and told her that whenever Tenten needed her, all she had to do was sent a message.

Tenten, thankful for being alone, took a long warm shower and went to sleep. She only awoke when she heard sounds outside her window. It was seven the next morning. She couldn't believe she didn't dine with the Uchiha's and slept the whole night long. She felt ashamed of herself. If her father had known, he would've been very disappointed.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard that noise outside her window again. They sounded like grunts, as if someone was fighting. She got out of the bed and walked towards the window. Just like her own room back in China, the guest room had a view over a garden. There was a cherry tree in the middle and flowerbeds on the edge of the garden. Except for grass, there was nothing more on the actual garden surface. Only a young man training with a thick pole. He was hitting it with hands and feet, kicking, jumping, punching it like he couldn't get enough of it. Tenten never knew there were so many ways of hitting an object. Soon enough she found out that it was Sasuke who was training. She could only capture glimpses of him when he turned or jumped to hit the target but it was clear enough for her to realize who it was.

Yesterday Sasuke had worn the Japanese national costume, but today he was dressed in grey sweatpants and a sleeveless black shirt. Seeing him train like that made Tenten feel a little aroused: Sasuke was very attractive in that state, being so concentrated and sweaty…

'_Tenten, what are you doing?!'_ she scolded herself. '_That is not a way to behave.'_ She quickly faced away from the window and decided to take a shower.

As she walked downstairs from her room, she admired the Uchiha home. It was very roomy, with sliding doors. It was a wooden home, made of dark wood. The walls and the floor seemed like they have been varnished. It smelled like sandalwood; very earthy but also very clean. She felt like she woke up in the woods.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she followed the sound of pots and pans hitting each other. In the kitchen she found Mikoto and a few servants, preparing a meal.

"Ah, good morning, Tenten," Mikoto said cheerfully. "Have you slept well?"

"Hai, Uchiha-sama," Tenten answered. "I have to apologize for not being able to dine with you yesterday. It will never happen again."

Mikoto waved the apology away.

"No need to apologize for that. We all understand how tired you are. So we let you sleep."

She gave Tenten a reassuring smile.

"Anyway, neither you nor Sasuke have had breakfast this morning. Why don't you take this to him and have a little chat? Sasuke's in the garden training."

She handed her a tray with a teakettle, two teacups, two teaspoons, a sugar jar and a plate with rice balls, tomato sauce on the side.

"A hint, Tenten," Mikoto happily said. "Sasuke doesn't like sugar in his tea."

Tenten smiled and took the tray outside to where Sasuke was training. She was struggling a bit because the hanfu really restricted her legs and she couldn't take nice big steps. She hated hanfu's. They were elegant and all but they made you feel so cramped up.

When Tenten arrived in the garden, she spotted a table and two chairs underneath the cherry tree. She walked towards it and placed the tray on the table. Sasuke was still training and it seemed he didn't notice her at all. She cleared her throat in an attempt to attract his attention, but he didn't respond at all. Then she tried greeting him, but he still didn't answer. She didn't want to yell at him, so she walked closer to him so she could greet him again. But right at that moment, Sasuke made a huge back flip and landed right in front of her, missing her by an inch. But she was so startled she fell backwards. Very swiftly Sasuke turned around and caught her with one hand. She looked at him with wide open eyes, still a little shocked by what happened. Sasuke was panting, tired by his training and he was sweating bullets.

'_Oh my god… He is so hot!' _Tenten thought.

He slowly let her up again but didn't apologize for his actions.

"What are you doing here," Sasuke said instead. It sounded more like a demand than a question.

"Well… Your mother asked me to have breakfast with you. Maybe we could get to know each other better."

Sasuke grunted and walked towards a bench on the other side of the garden. There he had a towel and a bottle of water. He took a gulp out of his bottle and put the towel around his neck. He walked back to Tenten and followed her to the table underneath the cherry tree.

As Sasuke took his seat, Tenten prepared his tea. While she did that she observed him. He had a look of royalty; used to luxury and getting everything he wanted. She also noted that he didn't look like the kind of man who'd take 'no' for an answer. In short: he looked arrogant.

'_He's gonna be trouble,'_ Tenten suspected.

She handed Sasuke his tea and sat across him. He took a sip and started eating. Even though he may have traits that she may not like, she still found him very attractive. His arrogance suited his face well.

"Aren't you gonna eat," Sasuke asked.

"No, I'm not that hungry," Tenten confessed.

"Suit yourself," he remarked and shrugged.

It was getting a little awkward; neither of them knew what to say. Sasuke, being the man he is, didn't say anything and wasn't planning on starting the conversation.

"So uhmm…," Tenten started. "What do you do for a living?"

Sasuke smiled. His career and his position in the clan is something he was very proud of. But he's not the kind of man who likes to brag about stuff like this.

"I'm second in command in the Konoha Police Corps. We work alongside the ninja's but the only difference is that they are under direct order of the hokage. We work with the hokage but his wishes are not exactly our worries. Our mission is to protect the villagers, keep it peaceful."

"Wow," Tenten said. "Must be a tough job. Bet you have a lot of responsibilities."

"I guess. How about you? What do you do around home?" Sasuke wasn't really in the mood for a conversation. He'd rather be working than doing this. But his father gave him a week off just to spend time with his wife-to-be.

"Well…" Tenten answered. She didn't really like to talk about home.

"My mom comes from a family of merchants and my dad used to be a royal guard of the emperor. When he retired, he joined the merchant's business. He let my two brothers follow in his footsteps and they are now in the royal army. He didn't see the use in having a daughter but he made sure I was well educated so I could communicate with his business relations. I studied anthropology and languages."

"I see," Sasuke said. Tenten didn't mention any training. He concluded that she didn't have any fighting experience whatsoever. He briefly wondered whether Tenten would be able to defend herself when there was danger. His job wasn't exactly a safe one. Although no attempt has been made for his assassination, he did receive some threats. Maybe marrying a commoner instead of a kunoichi was not such a good idea. But he made he already promised his dad. Might as well keep this up.

"I'm going to freshen up now. I don't exactly feel hygienic," Sasuke ended the conversation. He didn't find it a pity because there was nothing left to talk about. He stood up and walked away, leaving Tenten behind.

She was feeling a little uneasy. Things didn't go so well. Will she end up in a horrible marriage? She tried not to think about it, took the tray and brought it back inside.

When Sasuke came downstairs again after a much needed shower, he saw Itachi having breakfast in the kitchen.

"Well, well, well. Look who's home," he said. "Someone's off duty today."

"I have the day off," Itachi said coolly and added: "By order of the hokage. He seems to be having this ridiculous idea of me working too hard."

"Don't they all," Sasuke noted and chuckled. Hard work seems to be a family trait; the Uchiha's were known for pushing themselves.

"So…," Itachi carefully asked. "How's your wife?"

Sasuke shrugged. He really didn't know how to answer that.

"It doesn't hurt letting yourself into her world, you know. You guys are gonna get wed soon. Working things out now is better than fighting when you're already married. At least make arrangements or something."

With that Itachi put another rice ball in his mouth and walked away, waving his hand while walking out the door; a sign that he was going out and didn't want to be disturbed.

'_Maybe I should be more open,' _Sasuke thought.

He went looking for Tenten but couldn't find her. He asked a servant and he said Tenten was tending her horse. The Uchiha servants quickly made a stable for Phillip right after Tenten arrived, to accommodate the big mammal. The stable was outside the palace, near the woods, but it was still Uchiha property. The huge backyard consisted of an open grass field and a little strip of untouched forest at the end; this was enough room for Phillip to run around in.

He found Tenten brushing her horse, tending to his fur coat, manes and tail. She wasn't wearing her hanfu anymore. She exchanged it for some comfortable clothes; a long sleeved silk shirt with buttons on the side and wide pants. She was talking to the horse while she was brushing it. Phillip seemed to enjoy the attention and snorted when Sasuke, a stranger, came too close for its comfort. Tenten quickly turned around but relaxed when she saw who it was and continued with her work. She didn't attempt to speak to him. This time she was the one who had nothing to say.

"That's a big horse," Sasuke said stupidly. He felt foolish doing this. Casual conversations weren't really his thing. Tenten chuckled softly at the unease of the youngest Uchiha.

"Yes, he is," she admitted. Then she stopped working as a wonderful idea came to mind. She turned to Sasuke, smirked and said: "Would you like to ride him?"

"No thanks. I don't see the need to do something like that."

"Just try it," Tenten pouted. She was clearly teasing him. "Now you'll know firsthand what my hobby is."

Sasuke sighed. Why did he have to be open to this crap? He just HAD to listen to Itachi. Sasuke watched as Tenten saddled the horse. '_What am I getting myself into?'_ he thought.

Tenten mounted Phillip and rode him towards Sasuke. There she extended her hand to him so he could climb behind her. Sasuke hesitated only a second or two and took her hand. Slowly Tenten made Phillip walk around. She knew Sasuke wasn't used to this. Sitting behind her like that felt weird. Riding a horse was so unstable and his precious nuts were being cracked by the saddle. He couldn't take it much longer and jumped off.

"I don't know how you do it," he said to Tenten, who looked at him, surprised he just jumped off. "But that is the most uncomfortable thing I have ever done in my whole life."

Tenten laughed, and dismounted Phillip.  
"Come on," she said. "It's not that bad."

"Maybe not for you. You don't have precious jewels that get crushed by a saddle."

Tenten laughed heartily. Finally! Some humor from the serious Uchiha.

Exactly at that moment a servant rushed to them. He came to deliver news: Tenten's father was on his way and would arrive shortly. Immediately, Tenten's smile faded. She shrugged and more to herself than to Sasuke, she said: "Well, I guess I better get ready."

**A/N:** Whew! That was a long one! I'm sorry if this one was a bit boring but some things had to happen, so… Next chapter will be about the wedding! Thanks for reading but don't forget to review! ;) I'd like to know what you think. Arrigato gosaimas *makes bow*


	7. The Wedding

Chapter 7

**A/N, 3/25/2013: **There are many things I am grateful for; all the reviews and feedback, suggestions and of course all my followers and the people who faved this story. I can't thank you enough.

So, this chapter required some research because I wanted to do everything right. I'm sorry you had to wait long but I do hope the wait was worth it. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** For the umpteenth time: I do not own Naruto

From the moment Xiao arrived at the Uchiha palace, Tenten was holding in her breath. After the servant came to deliver the message, she quickly redressed into her hanfu. Her father detested her wearing such inappropriate clothing; he always said that it was meant for low life people and not for those of their status. Tenten never liked the way her father thinks but she couldn't do anything about it. Some part of her was happy that she was leaving her home. This way she didn't have to deal with her father's ridiculous way of living royalty.

Her father arrived with a little 'cavalry' of his own (he could never let go of his royal guard ways). There were men in armor, holding flags with the family emblem, galloping through the streets of Konoha like they were going to invade it. Tenten and the Uchiha family were all waiting by the doorstep, just like they were when they awaited Tenten's arrival.

The cavalry was pretty loud. First four riders arrived through the gate, two by two. Behind them was Xiao, Tenten's father. And to her surprise, he was followed by two other young men. Their armor was different than the first four guards, but less extravagant than her dad's; they were her brothers. Tenten was overjoyed when she saw them. She thought they weren't able to make it! The cavalry ended with four other guards, following behind her brothers.

The Uchiha's were not impressed by Xiao's little show. Dressed in armor, coming in with big horses, family flags and weapons; it wasn't really something the Uchiha's liked and for a moment Fugaku wondered why he even took a liking to the man to accept a betrothal between Xiao's daughter and his son. But that didn't matter now; the decision has been made and he wasn't willing to go back on his word.

Unlike Tenten, who gave a little introduction of herself, her father made no such attempt. Instead, he waltzed towards Fugaku and bowed. When he retained his position, he only glanced at Tenten, but returned his gaze towards the Uchiha clan leader.

"Shall we go inside?" he asked. "Then we can discuss business."

Fugaku smiled and lead Xiao the way into the meeting room.

Mikoto and her sons were a little baffled by Xiao's behavior. He may be of high status, but that doesn't give him the right to be rude!

"Gomenasai, Uchiha-sama," Tenten apologized, bowing before Mikoto. "My father can be very… unreasonable at times."

Mikoto smiled at her daughter-in-law and stroked her hair.

"It's okay, dear. I'm sure your father has his reasons."

"Konichiwa, Uchiha-sama," they all heard someone say. When Mikoto and her sons turned to the voice, they saw Tenten's two brothers bowing before them. Tenten was smiling brightly, she was really happy her brothers were here.

"We apologize for our father's behavior. We know that he can sometimes be a little rude."

"We are Xiao's sons. I am Shen and this is Han. We are here for our sister's wedding. We couldn't let her go without doing it the right way."

Both brothers smiled heartily at their sister. They wanted to give her a hug but doing that now wouldn't be considered appropriate.

Itachi and Sasuke nodded; they liked Tenten's brothers. They were polite and well mannered. Mikoto also approved of them.

"Come on in," she said. "Let's continue this conversation inside."

**Inside the palace**

In the living room, the Uchiha's and Tenten's family had a lively talk. Even Sasuke and Itachi were enjoying themselves; they found the brothers very amusing. Tenten was having the most fun; this was the best way to spend the last moments with her family. The only bad news her brothers brought her was the fact that their mother was very ill. Because of that she wasn't able to travel or else she would've certainly been here. Tenten was worried of course. Her mother has been struggling with her health for the last few years, but she knew her mom was strong. The thought of her death never crossed her mind.

"So, little panda," Han addressed his little sister. 'Panda' has always been their nickname for her.

"I hear you managed to snatch Phillip away from dad. May we see him? Such a magnificent horse is a very rare creature."

Tenten excused herself and her brothers and lead them to the stable behind the house. Itachi, Sasuke and Mikoto didn't bother joining them: they knew the brothers wanted some time alone with their sister.

"Phillip," Shen softly whispered as he stroked the horse's snout when they arrived at the stable, "I never thought father would give you away. And yet here you are."

The siblings simultaneously joined in a group hug. Tenten was giggling and a few tears ran from her eyes.

"Don't cry, little one," Shen tried to comfort her. "Everything's all right."

"At least we made it here," Han said. "Thank god that the general was understanding. It's very rare for him to give a few days off to soldiers like us."

"Tell me, little panda. Are you happy? With the choice that father made?"

"Is he a good man for you?"

The brothers were genuinely concerned for their sister. To them Tenten would always be the little girl with a balloon in one hand and a lollipop in the other; innocent and fragile. They would do anything they can to protect her. And if it needed to be done, they were willing to fight their father if Tenten wasn't happy with this arrangement.

"He can be a snob," Tenten admitted. "But I believe that he would never hurt me. I can sense a good soul inside that hard shell. I don't want to run away from this, I feel that it's better if I just leave our home. Dad doesn't want me there. So… yes, I do believe I am happy with his choice."

"Very well then," Han said assured. "We hope everything turns out well. And we surely hope you know what you're talking about."

"You are going to live in Japan now," Shen reminded her. "If things go wrong between you and that Sasuke, we won't be able to come and rescue you, like we did before. We need to know for sure that he is the man we can trust our baby sister with."

"I'm sure about this Shen," Tenten assured them. "He is a good man."

"Alright, so be it," Han said definitely. "I wish you both all the happiness in the world."

They joined in a group hug once more and returned to the palace.

Apparently Fugaku and Xiao were discussing as to when the wedding should take place. Fugaku wanted more time for Sasuke to get to know Tenten but Xiao wanted the wedding to be done and over with. Eventually it was decided that the wedding would be held two days after Xiao's arrival, so the moment the two fathers left the meeting room, the house was in total chaos. Servants were hurrying around, trying to get the palace ready for the wedding, making arrangements and inviting people.

At first Sasuke's and Tenten's background were of question. How would the ceremony be held? Would it be a Japanese or Chinese ceremony? Xiao didn't mind how it was done, as long as it's done. Tenten didn't mind either but she did want to wear a wedding hanfu. The decision was made quickly: it would be a Japanese ceremony, with Tenten wearing a wedding hanfu. This was an unusual way to wed and soon the word of the wedding spread like fire on dry grassland. Not everybody was invited to the wedding, though. Due to the status of the Uchiha family, they wanted a certain amount of discretion and privacy. Only close family were invited and influential people from the village that the Uchiha's were well acquainted with like the hokage, the Hyuuga family, the Nara family and so on.

**The day of the wedding**

Tenten stood in front of the mirror, admiring herself in the hanfu she was wearing. It was a silken red hanfu with golden trimmings. Her top had golden flowers embroidered on it and the gown was about two meters long. Tenten had her hair down; for this occasion she didn't want to wear buns. Sasuke may be a man she didn't know that well but she wanted to look at her best for him, nonetheless.

As a finishing touch to her look, she painted her lips red, the same color as her hanfu, and wore a pair of golden earrings. They were simple rose shaped earrings. Not too fancy things, but she wore it because they were a present from her mother. Her mother knew Tenten didn't like too fancy stuff, so she sent her simple earrings instead. Except for earrings, her mother also sent her a comb. It was a wooden comb, dark brown from color. It had porcelain cherry blossom flowers on it and was decorated with small river pearls.

Tenten looked at the beautiful comb and after looking at herself in the mirror, she changed her mind: she was going to pull her hair up instead of letting it loose. Her mother gave her a wonderful comb and she wanted to honor her by wearing it. Just as she finished adding the comb to her hair, she heard knocking on the door.

"Tenten-sama, the ceremony will start soon."

"Okay, I'll be there in a second."

She quickly pouted her lips to make sure her lipstick was distributed evenly and then walked out the door. Servants guided her to the meeting room where Sasuke and other members of the family, including her own, were waiting. Also in the room were present the hokage and his wife; Naruto and Hinata Uzumaki. Hinata gasped when she saw Tenten: she was so pretty! But she wasn't the only one surprised: nearly everyone was staring at the radiant beauty who just stepped inside. Sasuke couldn't keep his eyes off of her; he knew she was beautiful when he first saw her, but now it was like she spent a weekend in heaven's spa and had a makeover done by angels. For the first time ever Xiao was amazed by his daughter. Tenten was proud of herself; she may have had no help at all but she did well enough to attract her father's attention.

Tenten was guided to Sasuke, who sat by a table. She sat across him. A priest handed them a few papers: the marriage vows and the couple had to sign them. After signing the priest explained the whole ceremony. Tenten was all ears; being Chinese the ceremony was new to her and she wanted to do it right. This will be the first and only time she'd get married, so screwing up was not an option! In the end the priest washed the couple's hands and mouth with purified, blessed water; so they would be pure when they start the ceremony.

Sasuke offered his hand to Tenten after the purification and Tenten took it, albeit shyly. She was blushing for some reason. But then again, she's about to get married! Who wouldn't be blushing?! Together they walked out of the house, the whole family following behind them. The only person in front of them was the priest, guiding them all to the Shinto shrine where the ceremony will be held.

When they arrived at the shrine, the priest turned around and looked at the bridal couple and their guests. In response everybody bowed. Then, one by one, everybody was purified by the priest. The bridal couple, of course, was the first in turn.

When everybody was present inside the shrine, the priest guided the couple towards the altar where he announced the marriage of Tenten and Sasuke. There were no seats, so everybody was standing. After the announcement, everyone bowed again.

Then Sasuke and Tenten turned to and looked up at each other. A servant brought them a tray with six cups filled with sake. The cups were of different sizes: two were small, two medium and the last two were large. First they took the small cup in their hands and took turns sipping three times from each size of cup. Luckily the sake was only drunk at the third sipping, so Tenten wasn't worried about getting drunk before the end of the ceremony.

When the servant left with the cups of sake, another one came to the altar. But he was carrying a small cushion with the wedding rings. Sasuke took the bride's ring and offered it to Tenten. Blushing, Tenten extended her hand and with a small smile, Sasuke slipped the ring on her finger. After Tenten did the same to Sasuke, the couple said the wedding oath out loud as the priest was handing them the sakaki branch. They took the branch from the priest and put it at another altar.

To end the ceremony, Sasuke and Tenten had to do one more thing: they bowed twice and then clapped their hands twice.

Afterwards everybody cheered. Now it was time to celebrate the newlyweds at the Uchiha palace.

**The Uchiha Garden**

For the occasion the Uchiha garden was beautifully decorated: there were lanterns on each corner and the tables were set with beautiful bouquets of fresh flowers. The atmosphere was very pleasant and relaxed. Tenten felt her previous tension melt away as the guests approached the couple and congratulate them. Especially Naruto and Hinata were excited.

"Finally hooked, huh?" Naruto said, as he jokingly smacked Sasuke on his shoulder. "And I thought the tough faced Uchiha was never going to settle down. I thought you were too greedy for power, status and all those kind of things." Naruto grinned as he sipped his champagne.

"Shut up, dobe," was Sasuke's reply. He meant to sound grumpy and annoyed but he didn't look it. He was going along with the joke, which was a first: Sasuke doesn't 'go' along with jokes. But deep down, a part of him was happy.

_'Maybe it's just lust,'_ he tried to tell himself. _'After all: Tenten's a beautiful woman. Who wouldn't be happy to wed someone like that?'_

"Just go easy on her tonight, sour face," Naruto continued. "She doesn't look like she had any experience whatsoever. You might just break her and have her running back to China. And knowing you, you'd be too proud to beg her to come back."

"Mind your own business, loser," Sasuke scoffed. "Her pureness is none of your concerns. Why don't you go bury your face in paperwork and jug some ramen while you're at it?"

Naruto and Sasuke threw each other evil looks, but all of a sudden both men started laughing. They have been rivals during childhood but that actually made them very good friends. They couldn't hang out now as much as before but whenever they had the chance, they enjoyed each other's company.

**Tenten**

Tenten enjoyed the reception. She got to meet so many friendly people. First there was this Kakashi guy who used to be Sasuke's former sensei. He seemed like a pervert to her; he was constantly reading from this Icha-Icha Paradise book. Then there was this blond woman with a huge bust who listened to the name Tsunade. She was the hokage before Naruto took over and was enjoying a long retirement, travelling around Japan. What made Tsunade noticeable was when she gave Naruto a smack on the head, the moment she arrived. Tenten was shocked a little. I mean, who does that to the hokage, the leader of the village?! Tsunade was accusing Naruto, rather loudly, of not informing her of the wedding in time. But even after all the ruckus, she had that calming glow and Tenten just knew that she was someone who could be trusted.

Then there were Sasuke's friends and colleagues. There was Nara Shikamaru who looked like he didn't want to be there but was dragged there by someone. There was Akamichi Choji, who looked like he was about to eat everything at the reception. Naruto seemed to take this as a challenge because he was either joining him or competing against him.

The one person who caught her eye was a young lady, about her age with beautiful pink hair. It was the most unusual hair color Tenten has ever seen, but it suited the lady real nice. Her name was Haruno Sakura. She used to be part of Sasuke's team back when they were younger. She had a confident look and was very social. Tenten also noticed that she was very comfortable with Sasuke's brother Itachi. Were they dating? Tenten shook her head. Whatever was happening between them, it wasn't any of her business.

When the reception was finally over and the guests all left for home, Tenten was ready to call it a night. She had been standing for so long that evening, she couldn't feel her legs anymore. She was about to walk up the stairs to the house when Sasuke stopped her.

"Where are you going?" he asked. He sounded very stern, almost like he was angry. Tenten started to wonder if she did something wrong. She hesitated a bit before she answered.

"I'm going upstairs?"

"And why would you do that?"

"Because I'm tired?" Tenten was very insecure. What was Sasuke talking about? Why is he acting so weird all of a sudden?

"That's not your house," Sasuke said matter-of-factly.

Tenten sighed. She was tired; her legs were starting to cramp so she didn't want to put up with this right now. If Sasuke wanted to say something, he should just say it before she lost her cool.

Sasuke walked up to her until he was so close, she could almost hear his heart beat.

"We don't live here anymore, you know," he said softly. Then he bowed down and whispered in her ear: "Let me show you where we will stay."

And just like that Sasuke picked Tenten up in his arms and started to leap away in the dark night. Tenten was shocked. She held on to Sasuke as if her life depended on it! She didn't dare look down because she was so afraid of falling. She never knew people could jump like grasshoppers. Back in China no one did such a thing! But obviously, the unthinkable can happen in Japan. She hid her head into Sasuke's neck and closed her eyes shut. All she could hear was the whooshing of the wind and the eventual branch or ground that Sasuke landed on.

When they finally came to a stop, Tenten still didn't want to open her eyes. She didn't know what she'd find if she did. Maybe they would be standing on top of a mountain. Or maybe they would be on the edge of a cliff. Maybe he was planning on pushing her off the cliff. Was he planning on having her killed? Was he regretting the fact that he married her?!

"You can open your eyes now," Sasuke said. He was smiling at the fear of his wife. It looked funny on her, since there was nothing to be afraid of.

When Tenten did open her eyes, she was baffled. In front of her was a beautiful house. It wasn't as big as the Uchiha palace but it certainly felt like home. She could see the light that was shining from inside the house and some servants were already down the stairs, ready to guide the lady inside.

"Is this our home?" she asked, still astonished.

"Yep. This is where we'll stay for the rest of our lives." Sasuke headed towards the house but stopped when he noticed that Tenten wasn't following him.

"Are you coming? Or would you rather freeze outside?"

Tenten felt very stupid and almost wanted to smack herself. But she couldn't help it! The house was a beautiful surprise. She didn't know they'd be moving out this quickly. She was happy but then it dawned on her: she would be all alone with him in this house. She started to get a little nervous and scared. She prayed to god that Sasuke would really never hurt her.

The house was beautifully decorated. It was cozy and warm, spacious and comfortable. It almost looked like the Uchiha palace but with a few modern touches. The brown/white interior went well with the luscious green plants inside. Especially the small curling bamboo in vases are what she found elegant. When they arrived in the bedroom, Tenten noticed that her stuff were already inside, tucked away in the drawers.

"You make yourself at home. I have to check on a few things," Sasuke said and walked out of the room. Tenten grabbed that opportunity to take a shower. She wanted to be done by the time Sasuke arrived. She felt too shy for him to see her wrapped in a towel, or worse: wearing nothing at all. When she closed the glass door after showering, Tenten gasped when she saw Sasuke sitting on a chair facing the bathroom. He was sitting at the far end of the room, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and his folded hands under his chin. He looked very pensive, as if he was scheming an evil plan. And he was watching her so intensely that it was starting to creep her out. They were married now. Sasuke wasn't violating any laws but she still didn't feel at ease. After hesitating a moment, she slowly walked into the bedroom and passed Sasuke, heading straight for the wardrobe.

**Sasuke **

Sasuke was looking at her, his gazed locked like a missile on target. He already had a hard on from watching her take a shower. The glass wasn't clear but matted, so he couldn't see any details when she was busy. But he did see her figure and boy was she hot! Coming out of the shower, her hair was hanging down like heavy strands. A few forgotten drops slowly sliding down her skin. It aroused him. He hadn't slept with anyone for awhile, so he had some urges inside him that needed to be vented. But he also saw that she felt awkward and decided to do her a favor. With a smirk he took a towel, some pants and walked to the shower. This'll give her enough time to get dressed and more time to calm himself down. He wasn't planning on raping her on their first night together.

When he got back from the shower, he was only wearing a pair of sweatpants. He turned off the light and looked around the room. Tenten was sitting on the edge of the bed. The night lamp was the only source of light in the room. It shaded the room nice and warm and it gave Tenten a delicate glow. She was staring at her feet when Sasuke arrived and it didn't seem like she was going to look at him anytime soon. Sasuke smirked and sat beside her. At this point he was already very horny and he was almost at full length. Luckily his baggy pants managed to cover that.

By looking at her sideways, he took in every detail he could see. She had on a silken dressing gown; it had abstract motives on it with warm colors. She probably had a matching little dress underneath it. The though made his mouth water. Her hair was still hanging down heavily with water. Her skin was fair colored and the light of the lamp made her look really delicious. He wanted to take her that instant but he wanted to be sure she wanted it too. So he tried to kiss her, slowly closing the distance between their faces but just as he was about to brush his lips on her cheeks, she looked away.

That was a bad sign. Then he put a hand on top of her hands, which were neatly folded on her lap. And very quickly, she flinched. It only lasted a few seconds but that was evidence enough for Sasuke: Tenten wasn't ready.

He sighed. Not only was he disappointed that he wouldn't get laid tonight but he realized it might be awhile for her to trust him enough for them to actually sleep together.

"Tenten," he said softly, not looking at her. "Are you afraid of me?"

She didn't answer. In fact, she didn't know what to say! Yes, she was scared because she has never done this before and he's technically a stranger. No, she's not scared because he was her husband now. She shouldn't be afraid, should she?

"I'm not going to hurt you," he continued after he realized that an answer won't come any time soon. "I'm not going to force you into anything you don't like doing. If I were to do anything at all, it will only be with your consent. Let's just go to sleep now. I know you're tired."

Sasuke stood up and walked around to his side of the bed. He wanted to go to sleep quickly before his boner would become a nuisance. He felt Tenten slipping under the cover next to him and closed his eyes. While Sasuke drifted to sleep that night, Tenten was still up, feeling stupid about what just happened.

**A/N:** okay, I'm officially pooped. It took me longer than expected to write this. I'm so sorry I made you guys wait. I was at a loss of words while writing this chapter. I knew very well how to say it in Dutch but translating it was harder than expected. And trust me; a dictionary does not always do the trick. I also felt very constricted: my mind wanted Sasuke to jump Tenten but my heart knew it wasn't time yet. I'm sorry I ended the chapter this way. I find it stupid and had a different ending in mind but if I wrote it till that scene, the chapter wouldn't have been done by now! And I really wanted to post something for you, my readers. I hope you enjoyed it. Like always, R&R, please…

Ever wondered why this fic is called _"The Tale of the Kusanagi"_? Find out next in the following chapter. Stay tuned! ;D


	8. The Kusanagi

**A/N: **Welcome all! I'm so glad you stuck around for this story. I want you to keep in mind that Tenten is just a regular young lady like you and I. She's no ninja, can't leap and can't fight. Also, the Kusanagi that I'm going to refer to is not the Kusanagi given to Sasuke by Orochimaru (although I was inspired by it). The Kusanagi I'm going to use is based on the real legend of Japan. Enjoy! (Sorry for the long wait! I fell ill and had an important test…)

**Disclaimer:** Owww man… Why don't I own Naruto?... *holding hair in distress*

Some months after the wedding, Tenten and Sasuke were getting along quite nicely together as a couple. Tenten still felt a little guilty about their nuptial night: she knew that sleeping with him would be unavoidable but she was way too scared to pull it off. Luckily Sasuke didn't make a big deal out of it. In fact, it was never brought up during conversations. That made Tenten feel much better about herself but she knew part of her had failed.

Their relationship was a quiet one but not till the point where it became awkward and uncomfortable. Sasuke wasn't a man of words, more a man of deeds. If he wanted to do something, he just did it. Come to think of it, he would've been a great representative for Nike. Sasuke can't casually explain his feelings for his wife, but he did show it, to let her know. Sometimes he would bring her flowers or take her out for a romantic dinner. He was also a very busy man, so he couldn't spend that much time with Tenten. But when he did, he made sure it was unforgettable.

When they were together, they usually took a walk in the forest nearby. Their house was conveniently build on the edge of the village, so taking walks in the forest was easy. They would stroll around, have some chats and they ended the day with a picnic near the lake.

They were already married for about six months, and as of date, they have never kissed each other on the lips, passionately. If that didn't happen, then it's safe to assume they have never slept with each other. They have been sleeping together on the same bed but they have never had sex. Tenten just wasn't ready and although that had frustrated Sasuke till insanity, he was patient enough to respect her wishes.

Tenten was starting to develop complicated and deeper feelings for Sasuke as the time passed. It was a little scary for her knowing she was falling in love but at the end, she just let it all happen. Now they were close enough to allow small kisses on the cheeks or near the lips. She grew fond of this man and she felt fluttery every time she saw him. She was indeed happy with the man her father chose for her.

"Tenten, we need to speak," Sasuke said a little uninterested. They were both having breakfast. Tenten looked at him and listened carefully.

"The Uchiha's are having a family tradition tonight. I hope you have nothing planned."

"No," Tenten confirmed. She was curious. "What kind of tradition?"

Sasuke smiled. The family tradition was treated like top secret so no one ever talked about it. It was nice to share this with someone else, especially because Sasuke was very proud of it.

"Every once in ten years," he started explaining, "the Uchiha's uphold this family tradition that has been going on for ages. A priceless old relic is then showcased to the clan. Yet not every Uchiha may see it. Only the ones who have been deemed worthy by the lead family have the permission to do so. The relic will bask on a full moon's night for about an hour and will be showcased further inside the house. After the ceremony it will be hidden in a secret place that only the lead family knows the location of."

"Wow," Tenten reacted. "Sounds mysterious."

"Since you're my wife," Sasuke continued. "You have automatically gained the right to see the relic but our children will have to earn it. You should consider yourself lucky."

"Well, in that case; I'm honored."

"But if something was to happen to the relic and its disappearance is traced back to you, you will be killed without mercy, regardless of your position in the clan."

Tenten swallowed some accumulating spit. That didn't exactly sound exciting. Sasuke was saying it so casually, like killing is the most normal thing in the world. Then again, his job has hardened him and maybe he didn't expect her to do anything that foolish.

Sasuke finished his toast, stood up, gave Tenten a kiss on the cheek and said:

"Be ready at eight tonight. And dress properly."

Tenten rolled her eyes. _'Since when __don't__ I wear properly,'_ she thought. And though the threat was still fresh in her mind, Tenten couldn't wait to see what kind of relic the Uchiha's cherished so much.

**That night**

On the stroke of 8 p.m. Tenten and Sasuke left the house. Sasuke couldn't leap like he usually does because he had to take in account the lack of abilities in Tenten. Turns out that she didn't like to be carried around in his arms either, so walking was the only option. Personally, Sasuke didn't mind this; strolling was one of the few things he liked doing.

When they arrived at the Uchiha palace, it didn't seem like something grand was about to happen. It seemed like just an ordinary night, a night like any other. When they arrived in the garden, however, things were different. There weren't many people there but the ones that were, were dressed up for show. Everybody seemed very elegant.

"Won't the hokage be here?" Tenten whispered to Sasuke. The people looked extravagant, but the atmosphere was tense. No one was chatting with each other; they all stood there, anxiously waiting for something to happen.

"No. No outsiders allowed," Sasuke said firmly. "Not even the hokage knows about this."

"I see."

Tenten looked around but she couldn't find Mikoto. Neither did she see Fugaku or Itachi. They were the hosts, shouldn't they be here?

"It's beginning," Sasuke said suddenly as he nodded to the entrance of the Uchiha palace. All of a sudden, the door-post was on fire but strangely enough, the surrounding wood didn't catch it. And through that square of fire walked Fugaku. He had a long rectangular box in his hands. It seemed to be made of stone and in the light of the full moon, Tenten could see some very old Japanese writing on it. He was followed by Itachi and Mikoto. In the middle of the garden, an altar was prepared. It was a simple wooden one and it seemed like something long was meant to rest on it. Something like a sword.

While Fugaku was standing in front of the altar with the stone box, Itachi stood on his right and Mikoto stood across him. Tenten was about to turn around and ask Sasuke what they were doing, but she soon noticed that he wasn't standing by her side anymore. When she looked back at the altar, she saw that Sasuke joined his family by standing to the left of Fugaku. Slowly, the clan leader opened the box, and put the relic on the altar. After he put the box down he took some steps backwards. The whole family seemed to be making a complete circle.

In the light of the full moon, Tenten could finally tell what the Uchiha relic was: a sword. The atmosphere in the garden suddenly got even more intense, if that was even possible. It was almost as if everybody was holding their breath. Obviously something big was about to happen. The lead family started raising their hands from the side slowly but stopped when they reached waist height. It almost looked like they were about to pray. As if on cue, they started chanting ancient texts. It sounded foreign but yet familiar. '_It must be an old Japanese dialect,'_ Tenten thought, because the dialect sounded somewhat like the regular Japanese.

The chanting continued for over a half an hour when suddenly it stopped. It was so quiet Tenten could actually hear the wind blowing through the leaves of the trees and small crickets sounding their evening calls. Everybody was watching the lead family as Sasuke, his brother and his parents lifted their heads to the clear sky. They closed their eyes and the moment they did that, the sword started to glow. And as quick as lightning, a ray of light emitted from the sword and connected with each of the members of the lead family. Tenten gasped out of shock. Her first impression wasn't a good one; she thought that Sasuke was being killed! She flinched when the light 'attacked' but when she looked closely, she saw that the light softened. It seemed like it was caressing the family and little by little the light illuminated them. At a certain point they were so enlightened that it looked like they were angels who visited the earth. Tenten still didn't trust this. The ritual was giving her the impression that the light was moving; that it was draining something out of the lead family as the sword sucked it in. At the end of the ritual, it seemed like they were being lifted up, they were hovering a few inches above the ground, when suddenly the glow just left. As a result Sasuke, Itachi and their parents all dropped. The other spectators rushed towards them to catch them.

Tenten ran towards Sasuke.

"Sasuke… Sasuke, wake up," she said desperately. He wasn't opening his eyes and his body was limp and cold. He almost felt… dead. Tenten started sobbing. Why was this happening?

"Don't worry, Tenten-sama," someone said to her. It was an old lady and she smiled when Tenten looked around. "They just need to rest. Don't you see? He's breathing."

Tenten turned to Sasuke and put her ear to his nose. He really was alive. He was just… sleeping. The spectators helped put the lead family on the benches and slowly but surely the family gained consciousness.

When Sasuke came to, Tenten nearly wanted to slap him silly. What was that? And why would he ever agree on doing such a stupid tradition when it nearly cost him his life! The first thing Sasuke did when he looked at Tenten's worried face was chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Tenten asked, clearly upset.

"You were crying. How sweet," he said mockingly. Tenten hit his shoulder hard.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again, you jerk."

Sasuke couldn't help but laugh. She was just so adorable.

When the lead family gained their strength back, Fugaku placed the sword back in its box and brought it inside the palace. All the guests followed in. Only when the sword was back inside the house, did the flames on the door-post cease to burn. When Tenten walked through, she was amazed at the fact that the wood wasn't scorched or so much as scratched. It was almost as if it wasn't set on fire in the first place. And though it confused her, she didn't bother asking Sasuke about the phenomenon.

Inside, in the biggest room of the palace, the sword was taken out of the box and placed on top of it for further showcasing. This time, the guests have enough opportunity to admire the relic.

Sasuke offered Tenten a glass of champagne and lead her to the altar where the sword and its box were placed. He wanted to fully 'introduce' her to the Uchiha's pride but was surprised when Tenten started gasping out loud. She was taking a very good look at the sword as if she had seen it before and her eyes were filled with wonder.

"Oh my god," Tenten said, still surprised. "I can't believe what I'm seeing here."

"Do you know our relic?" Sasuke asked curious. He wondered how she could've known of its existence. The Uchiha's were sworn to secrecy ever since they possessed it.

"Yes, I do. Well, not directly," Tenten tried to explain. "I studied cultures back in China and I know of this sword. It's the Kusanagi, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is," Sasuke replied suspiciously. "What do you know about the Kusanagi?"

"Not much. There isn't much known about the Kusanagi because most of the records were lost during previous wars. But this sword dates back from ancient times. It was said that the goddess of the moon, Kitosana, sent down three gifts to three prominent families in Japan: a sword –the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, a necklace –the Yasakani-no-Magatama, and a mirror –the Yata-no-Kagami. These families were the guardians of her sacred treasures," she told Sasuke excitingly. He could see that she was getting very winded up about this.

"Unfortunately, that's all I know," she ended, disappointed about that fact. "There was so little left of the scrolls it was written on. And because of the wars, most of them were either burned or just lost."

"Hmmm…," Sasuke thought aloud. "Maybe I can help you with the rest of the story.

All three gifts have a certain power and were meant to protect the guardian's family and their clan. The gifts, in our case the Kusanagi, weren't powerful by itself. They needed a human boost. So every once in a decade, the lead family offers their chakra to the relic. Except for protection, the sword also functions as a certain kind of record to the Uchiha past."

"Record? What do you mean?" Tenten asked curiously.

"I'll show you at the end of the night. Don't worry," Sasuke replied and winked at her while he sipped his champagne.

Tenten looked at the Kusanagi closely. It's almost like it just came from the blacksmith. It was shining in the lights of the palace and the edges seemed very sharp. The Kusanagi was a beautiful sword, metallic grey in color. She suspected that it was forged from different types of metal to add to its flexibility and strength. The handle was wrapped around by black leather strips and on the blade itself, its name was engraved. The guard wasn't just simply round like a regular sword, but it was engraved with the form of beautiful woman, a dragon and a warrior. The blade collar was made of gold and was so well polished that Tenten could see her reflection in it. Like all katana's, the blade was slightly curved; it wasn't completely straight and also had a curved edge. Not only was it a functional sword, it was also an artistic masterpiece.

Somehow the sword felt like it had a spiritual presence. Maybe it was because of the chakra it absorbed. She was in awe of the Kusanagi but at the same time she felt intimidated.

At the end of the night, when everyone had left, the Uchiha lead family surrounded the Kusanagi and looked at Tenten. It was like they were expecting something from her.

Tenten looked around her nervously and started fumbling with her hair.

"What?" she asked.

Fugaku smiled at her and lead her closer to the Kusanagi.

"Welcome to the Uchiha family," he said softly and he nodded towards the relic. In fact, the whole family was smiling at her. Even Sasuke; he had his arms crossed and was looking at her deviously.

"Remember what I told you about? The Uchiha past record?" he reminded her. "You're about to experience it."

"Go ahead, Tenten," Mikoto urged her on. "Touch the Kusanagi. Hold it."

Tenten didn't know why touching the Kusanagi was so important. And technically, she didn't really trust the situation. But she did what she was told. She reached out for the handle of the Kusanagi and enveloped her fingers around it.

Right at that moment Tenten saw a bright light and she got the feeling that she was being sucked into void. Then she saw a family. She had no idea who they were but she saw a middle aged man playing with his young son while a woman was smiling at them. Judging by the clothes they were wearing, it must have been a very long time ago. Then she was sucked into a different time frame. This time she saw a burning village and different kind of people. But they were Uchiha's because one of them had activated his Sharingan. He was saying something but she couldn't hear anything. She could see everything sepia colored but she couldn't hear anything. Then the guy's Sharingan took on a different shape: a Mangekyou. She could faintly hear someone calling her name. She looked around but all she could see was the burning village. All of a sudden everything turned bright again. She was blinded and the voice was still calling out her name. The bright light turned into utter darkness and everything faded. The voice calling her name dampened until she could hear nothing at all. It was like she found herself in a dark endless pit of emptiness.

When Tenten finally opened her eyes, the first thing she noticed was that she wasn't in the Uchiha palace anymore. She sat straight up but immediately regretted it because that caused her to have a serious headache. She flinched against the sudden burst of pain and slowly opened her eyes to look at her surroundings. She was in her room, back in her house. She looked outside the window and saw that it was still night. Was she carried back home after the family ritual or did she sleep till the next night? She was a little confused.

Tenten heard footsteps coming closer to the bedroom and she saw Sasuke walking in with a cup of tea. He grinned at her when he saw that she was awake.

"Slept well?" he asked as he handed her the tea.

Tenten reached for her head.

"What happened?" she asked confused, rubbing her forehead to try to smoothen out the pain.

"You fainted," Sasuke said matter-of-factly, and was it just her or did he sound amused? She carefully took a sip from her tea. The warm feeling of the flavored water going down her throat felt relaxing. She took slow deep breaths to calm her confused mind and to try to remember anything she could from before she passed out.

"Why did I pass out?" she asked, squinting at Sasuke.

"Well…" Sasuke started. "We kinda forgot to tell you that the Kusanagi will extract chakra from anyone who holds it. You held on to it for awhile and if I hadn't taken it away from you in time, you probably would've died."

Tenten almost choked on her tea. She coughed up some droplets that were going down the wrong pipe and immediately slapped Sasuke's shoulders.

"How could you present me with such a dangerous object!" she protested. "And I cannot believe you forgot to tell me something as important as that. Do I mean that little to you!?"

"Owww… Come on, Tenten," Sasuke protested. "You know that was not my intention."

He watched as she stood up. He thought she was going to walk out the room but to his surprise she started undressing.

When Sasuke carried her home, all the maids have left and he didn't dare to undress her himself. So she was in bed wearing the same gorgeous dress she had on during the ceremony. Usually, Tenten is quite shy at revealing her body to him but she was so caught up in her anger she forgot that Sasuke was still there and watching her. His heart started racing when the dress went down and he saw her in her lingerie. His eyes started to widen as she bent down to pick up the dress which was now on the floor. The view excited him and aroused him very much. He started making fists and was trying his best not to look like a beast and pounce. All of a sudden things just got a little too hot for him. She was so beautiful and amazingly sexy. He wanted to caress that smooth skin, teasingly bite her in her neck and mark her as his own. He closed his eyes, trying to stop the lust in him, focusing on calming himself down before bad things were going to happen.

Unaware of the struggle Sasuke was going through, Tenten took off what she was wearing and put on her night dress: a silken dress just above her knees. Because she knew that the servants were gone, she didn't bother putting on her night gown and left Sasuke behind in the bedroom without looking at him. The tea had done its job, her headache was almost gone and now she was in need of a drink. She was mad at Sasuke and she needed to vent. In her opinion, a drink sounds nice.

Sasuke was grateful when Tenten left the room; it gave him time to redeem himself. After a few moments of long, deep breaths, he walked out the room looking for her. He found her in the kitchen, sipping on some wine.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Drinking alcohol. Not that you care."

"Look. I'm sorry about not telling you. It just slipped our mind."

"Save it," she bit back. "I'm not in the mood for talking. I'm just gonna go to bed. It's late."

She walked towards the sink and washed her glass. Sasuke took the opportunity to sneak up on her and hold her from behind. She was startled and shocked! Sasuke never really came this close to her before and absolutely not that sudden. She wanted to turn around but his grip on her was firm and made her remain the way she was standing. At first his hands were on her stomach and his mouth on her shoulders. He slowly planted some kisses on her smooth skin and made his way higher to her neck while his hands were exploring the mysterious curves of her body.

"You mean a lot more to me than you think," he whispered when his mouth reached her ear. He managed to calm himself down a bit when he was left alone in the bedroom but that didn't mean he managed to eliminate his horniness.

"I do not know what I should do without you," he continued. The sound of his voice, soft and sexy, made Tenten melt away in his arms and sent shivers down her spine at the same time. The anger she felt for him evaporated like boiling water. She felt a longing for him she never experienced before and the way he was touching her, either with his lips or his arms, made her feel utterly sensitive. Suddenly she was aware of a certain hardness pressing against her buttocks. She gasped but allowed all of his touches to happen. She wanted this, she wanted him.

Slowly Sasuke turned her around to face him, his hands traveling to her behind, softly kneading them. He immediately went for her neckline, keeping in mind not to be too rough; he didn't want to scare her. As gentle as he could, he placed some kisses on her neck while traveling up her ear. Teasingly, he nibbled on her skin and licked her earlobe. He could hear her moan softly against him and it turned him on even more.

"You have no clue how you make me feel," he whispered to her silently. His hands were strongly enveloped around her and he wasn't willing to let go. He placed his forehead on hers, while his hand gently caressed her cheek.

"I have come to love you, Tenten," he breathed. "I need you in my life."

He slowly lifted her chin up and, carefully, he kissed her. It was their first real kiss since they got married. Tenten felt mesmerized. She had no way of describing the emotions rushing through her mind. She gave in to him, she wanted him and eagerly kissed back. She was aware of his hardness pressing against a place that was getting very sensitive. But she didn't mind. She felt like she needed Sasuke more than she ever had before.

Tenten wrapped her arms around his neck, while her hands were entangled in his black hair. Sasuke held her close, pressing her body against his, while his legs slowly parted hers. He let one hand travel to her sacred hill, under the dress and under her underwear, and massaged her clit gently. Tenten couldn't handle the new feeling roaring through her body. She moaned loudly, while she scratched his back. He was still wearing his shirt, so her nails didn't do any damage to his skin. But for some reason, the shirt irritated her and she felt like she could just rip it off his body.

Sasuke stopped for a moment and looked at her. He saw the raw emotions on her face as clearly as the chapters in a book. He knew now for sure that she was ready. So he picked her up, bridal style, and carried her to the bedroom.

He gently laid her down on the bed and took off his shirt. Tenten followed him with her eyes and when he laid on top of her, she looked a little insecure.

"Have you ever done this before?" he asked. She shook her head shyly, looking sideways so she didn't have to look him in his eyes. He turned her head towards him.

"Do you trust me?" he asked again. She nodded as she gazed into his deep black orbs, feeling lost in its depth.

"I will only hurt you this once," he whispered. "But I promise it will be over soon and that pleasure will take over." He looked into her eyes; he wanted to make sure she believed him. Tenten looked at him, played with his hair and guided his face towards her. They kissed passionately, and slowly the passion turned into hunger. Tenten didn't know what made her feel this way but she liked it and she wanted him. Sasuke, having been deprived from his needs for so long, was almost out of control. He kissed her hard on the lips and traveled down her neck to the soft, beautiful mountains on her chest. While one hand squeezed one breast, his mouth bit the other. She could feel him play with her and she moved at the sensation that was given to her. She wanted him to take her clothes off so badly. But Sasuke wanted to play with her a little longer. He slid his hand under her dress and stroked the insides of her thigh. Then he went up her waist, pushing her against his body.

"Sasuke…" Tenten moaned, while she grabbed his hair. Sasuke responded by pulling her up, so she would appear to be sitting on the bed. He slowly took off her dress and kissed her hard on the lips. His hands traveled along her back, looking for the clasp of her bra, and with one swift movement, it was off. Tenten gasped, and quickly wrapped her arms around her breast. Suddenly she felt extremely shy and part of her didn't want him to see her that way. He smiled at her and slowly removed her hands from her precious curves. When the bra was taken off, he was in awe of her beauty. How could she be so shy of something that was so beautiful? He reached out for them and caressed them. Tenten moaned against his touch. His fingers played with her nipples and the longer he did that, the faster she started to breathe. He pushed her against him, wanting to feel the hard nipples and her soft breasts against his chest. He kissed her collarbone while his hands were traveling down towards her ass.

Sasuke softly pushed Tenten down, making her lay on the bed again. With his legs, he moved hers apart. Tenten felt very exposed and she could feel the blood rushing towards her cheeks. Sasuke moved some hair strands away from her face. He didn't want any part of her to be hidden. He kissed her upper lip, licking the lower one. Tenten wanted more, and kissed him fully. He went down her neckline again and was heading towards her breasts. His right hand massaged one while his lips traveled to the other. He teasingly made circles on her breast, avoiding her nipple. Tenten couldn't stop moaning. She wanted more. And just when she thought she couldn't take it anymore, Sasuke slipped her nipple inside his mouth. He sucked on it gently, while letting his tongue play with her nipple. Tenten experienced a whole new kind of feeling and felt like she was gonna lose it. He teasingly bit her softly on her nipple and moved on to the other breast.

Tenten was moaning and squirming under his touches. When Sasuke went lower, from her breasts to her stomach, she gasped. He liked her body, nibbled and sucked wherever he let his mouth travel and when he reached her secret hill, she stopped breathing. He massaged her clit through her underwear and she felt like she could see the gates of heaven open up. Sasuke took off her panties and again was in awe of her beauty. He could feel his own heart pounding in his chest and his dick who wanted more attention. But it wasn't time yet. He slid one finger in her and played with her clitoris. This time flesh to flesh, without the barrier of the underwear. Tenten almost couldn't take it. And just when she thought that her feelings couldn't peek any higher, Sasuke licked her precious secret. With his fingers, he parted her lips, so he would have better access to sensitive parts and he started to nibble on her carefully. Tenten was moaning really loud this time.

"Sasuke…" she moaned, still dazed by the sensations he was giving her. "Oh my god, Sasuke… That feels so good…"

The way she moved, squirmed against his touches aroused him. He couldn't contain himself anymore and he stood up to remove his own pants.

Tenten looked at him wide eyed. She had never seen a naked man before, so seeing him in his full glory, made her feel shy again. She turned away from him, and laid there in fetal position, closing her eyes shut.

Sasuke grinned. She was so inexperienced and innocent. It made him want her even more. He climbed on top of her, using his legs to spread hers apart. He kissed, licked and nibbled on the skin of her stomach, slowly moving upwards. He then took one breast in one hand and kneaded it softly, playing with her nipple. His tongue was playing with the other nipple, drawing circles around it first, then sipping and at last putting everything in his mouth. Tenten held on to Sasuke the whole while, her hands gripping his upper arms. If he wasn't so caught up in pleasuring her, he might've felt how deep her nails were digging in his skin. Being in this state of mind, his body became numb to irrelevant pain. As he moved higher, towards her lips, he positioned himself at her entrance.

Sasuke looked into Tenten's big brown eyes; she was a little scared but fully wanting this at the same time. He could feel her grip tighten on his upper arms as her legs instinctively wrapped themselves around his waist. Ever so slowly, Sasuke pushed his hips forward, keeping in mind that he didn't go in too deep. Tenten hissed and closed her eyes. He pulled out and pushed again. He repeated the process so Tenten could get used to his size and when the hissing turned into soft moans, Sasuke pushed in deeper. Tenten moaned loudly. Sasuke felt his dick bump against a wall and with one hard blow, he pushed himself deep in her. She felt so good, so tight. It was driving him mad, he nearly felt dizzy. Tenten screamed when Sasuke broke her hymen. She grabbed Sasuke and scratched his back as she held her breath, holding on to him for dear life. It hurt, but at the same time she felt glorious. Slowly she started to take deep breaths and let him go. When Sasuke noticed that her grip has weakened, he slowly moved out of her. He could hear her whimper of pain but tried to distract her by nibbling on her ear. Tenten gasped when she felt that Sasuke was not in her anymore, it was like something was removed from inside of her. She felt so exposed, so open. And suddenly, Sasuke pushed in. She yelled again, the pain was striking! But in the background she felt immense pleasure. So, even though her instincts told her to flee from that which caused her pain, her desire was secretly asking him for more. And slowly, Sasuke moved out again but this time not entirely. With a slow rhythm he pushed in and out, wanting her to forget the pain and feel the pleasure that he was experiencing. He was totally unaware of her legs tighten around his waist and the lightly bleeding trails of fingernails on his shoulders. He was too focused on his control to notice the blood. Tenten was so tight, moist, slippery… It aroused him a lot and it required a lot of focus to not lose control.

As Tenten got used to the pain, her yells turned into soft moans and her body started to relax. Sasuke used that opportunity to increase his speed. He kissed her hard on her lips, unable to hold back the fire that was burning within him. She just felt so good! He also noticed the pressure in Tenten rising; her moans were loud and she was becoming restless. He decided it was time to change position before they both reached their climax.

With a swift move, he rolled her around, and before Tenten could process what had happened, she found herself to be on top of him, sitting on his manhood. Sasuke took her hips in his hands and slowly moved her up and down. The pain was coming back because of the new position and Tenten scratched his chest to cope with the pain. But it didn't last long before she started to enjoy the feeling and moved her hips up and down without Sasuke's guidance. Sasuke let Tenten do all the work and looked at her. She had her eyes closed, her face expressing the lust and pleasure she was feeling, her breasts softly bouncing at the movement of her body. Her moans were seductive, he wanted her close. He took her arms, pulled her down and kissed her hard on the lips. He started to move his own hips up and down while taking hold of hers, pushing her to his hardness. He delivered slow but hard thrusts at first and was increasing his speed. He was faintly aware of her hard nipples brushing against his chest. He heard her moans getting louder and he knew she was close.

"Oh god! Sasuke… I… Ahh!"

Sasuke felt her vagina walls spasm and with a few hard thrust, he felt himself unload. Tenten dropped out of exhaustion; she was panting. Sasuke was still seeing stars. He closed his eyes and held Tenten close to him, stroking her damp hair. Tenten felt complete, satisfied. All she wanted to do now was cuddle up against Sasuke, letting his body heat warm her. She felt too weak to get up from him, though. She tried to lift herself off him but buckled against her own weight. She landed on him with a soft "umpf…".

"Easy there, tiger," Sasuke teased her. "You might break something I find precious."

Tenten smiled but felt too tired to protest. With a little help of Sasuke, she managed to get off him. She immediately positioned herself next to him, using one of his arms as a pillow and placing her face next to his.

"I love you, Sasuke," Tenten whispered as she drifted off to sleep.

Sasuke looked at her and lovingly removed the locks of hair falling down her face.

"I love you too," he answered and placed a kiss on her forehead.

Feeling very satisfied himself, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

**A/N:** Needless to say this was my first description of a rated scene. I hope you liked it. I wouldn't mind pointers on how to do things better, though. It will help me improve my writing skills and it will increase your amount of joy ;D

Read and review, please!


	9. Taken

**A/N: **Thank you everyone for staying, reviewing and reading. I had to think hard on how to make things happen next. As usual, I hope you'll enjoy this!

**Disclaimer:** Nope, I don't own Naruto. Or any of the other awesome anime's like Bleach and Fairy Tail.

**The Uchiha master bedroom**

Tenten woke up to the songs of the birds outside. She lazily opened her eyes as the rays of the morning sun caressed her face. She stretched and turned around; Sasuke wasn't by her side. Instead she found a beautiful crimson colored rose. The color of the flower stood up against the luscious green of the stem and the leaves. Tenten picked it up and took a sniff: the flower smelled fresh and deep. She noticed that there was also a note where the rose was left.

_"I'm sorry I'm not there with you. You were asleep when I left and I didn't want to wake you. But I'll be back. See you around six."_

Tenten smiled. Sasuke can be very romantic but the note seemed like it was scribbled in a hurry. He was probably running late for something important. She fell back on the bed and stayed there for awhile, trying to remember the things which happened last night. Part of her didn't want to believe that they finally committed the deed. And honestly, it wasn't as scary as she thought it would be. She felt complete and somehow even more in love than she was before. Smiling, she got off the bed and took a long and refreshing shower.

**The Leaf Café**

"Tenten's late. Do you think something's happened to her?" Hinata asked worried. She was looking at the others while caressing her womb protectively. Hinata has been pregnant for four months now. Both she and Naruto were happy about the news. Well…maybe Naruto was a bit more excited. He jumped all around the house when she told him that they were expecting a baby. And for the next few weeks he couldn't help but sing like crazy and tell everybody about the great news. Everybody was getting irritated because Naruto talks about his unborn child all the time and he was starting to lose sight of his responsibilities.

Hinata handled this by threatening him; he will not see her at all if he doesn't behave normally. With a lot of struggle Naruto had complied but he couldn't help but be very protective over her. He was watching her diet, making sure she didn't eat, drink or do anything that would harm the baby and that she didn't stress too much. Naruto's love and affections, his efforts made Hinata feel warm and loved. Nothing could feel any better than this.

"Don't worry, Hinata. I'm sure she's okay. Maybe she just had some errands to run," Sakura said to try to comfort her. They were sitting on the terrace outside the café, like they usually do.

"Or she got hit by a truck," Temari said indifferently while inspecting her nails. Sakura spit her some evil eyes and hit her on her shoulders. That pissed Temari off and she stood up and rolled up the sleeves of her shirt.

"You're looking for trouble, little pinkie," she said.

"Yeah? Well bring it on, porcupine," Sakura said defensively, while she too started to stand up.

"Guys!" Ino yelled, as she tried to calm the hotheads down. "You're making this worse. Remember: we've got a vulnerable person on board." Ino pointed at Hinata, who didn't seem to pick up the dense aura around her. She was totally focused on being worried about Tenten.

"Don't worry, Hina. I'm sure Tenten will be here soon," Ino said to Hinata.

Right at that moment, they saw a figure running towards them. The girls immediately identified it as their missing friend and as Tenten said down at their table, they looked at her questioningly, expecting an explanation.

Tenten looked at them as if she was caught red handed.

"I'm so sorry I'm late," she apologized. She pulled back some locks of hair falling down her face. When she came out of the shower this morning, she suddenly realized she had an appointment with the girls and rushed out of the house. She didn't even take the time to brush her hair. That explains the messy look and the reason why it wasn't worn in buns, like it usually is.

"I slept in this morning and…" she tried to continue when Ino, who sat next to her, interrupted.

"Oh…my…god," Ino gasped out loudly. She immediately reached over to Tenten and pushed her hair away, which was covering her neck.

"What is this?!" she asked loudly, excitement in her voice, as she pointed at a love mark on the side of her neck. It was very light, but then again, nothing escapes the trained eyes of Ino. The other girls bent over to see the mark better and slowly everybody was as excited as Ino was. And as their excitement rose, so did the red colors of Tenten's cheeks. They were staring at her with big eyes, urging her to explain the mark.

"Well…" Ino said. "Aren't you going to tell us?"

"Uhmm… I…," she stuttered. She didn't exactly feel comfortable about telling them this.

"Come on, Tennie," Temari started whining. "No keeping secrets from friends, right?"

"Right… I, uhmm.."

"Listen guys," Sakura said, raising her arms. "I think we all know what happened here. Tenten had a magical evening last night, didn't she?"

All the girls laughed out loud as Tenten's blush became deeper.

"Tennie…" Hinata asked carefully. "Is that true?"

Tenten was quiet for awhile and then nodded without looking at them. If it's even possible, the other girls started to get even more excited.

"And?" Ino asked.

"And what?"

"And… How was it? What did you think of your first time?"

Tenten thought for awhile.

"Well…" she answered. "It was as magical as it should be."

"Was he the one coming after you or did you hunt him down?" Temari asked excited.

"He came on to me," Tenten replied. "And he was so romantic, so seductive. It felt like he was doing everything right." She continued telling them what he did and how he did it, keeping in mind to leave out the parts that were too inappropriate, of course.

The girls were all ears and happy for her. In their opinion, it was about time that they had sex. They knew that Tenten was crushing on him since they were married for about a week or two but Tenten didn't dare to take the next step. She was waiting for Sasuke to do that. And so the conversation carried on. The girls were laughing, having fun, it was the kind of joy everybody needed. Eventually Sakura stood up.

"I have to go, guys," she said apologetically. "I arranged a special test for my patient today and I need to know what the results are. See you guys around! We're doing this again, right?"

"Of course we are!" Ino exclaimed. "Keeping in mind our work schedule, how does the end of the month sound like?" Everybody nodded.

"I don't know about me," Temari confessed. "The only reason I'm here is because of the congress that Gaara wanted me to attend. I'll try to squeeze away from work but I'm not making any promises. The journey from Suna to Konoha isn't a 15 minute drive, you know."

"We know you'll try," Hinata said. "We hope you can make it. It's always nice to have you around too, Temari-chan. That being said, I have to go to Naruto's office. I promised him I'd be there in a half hour. If not, I'm sure he'd be sending a search party for me."

Sakura helped Hinata up and together they left; Hinata to the hokage and Sakura to the hospital.

"Do you have other plans for the day, Tennie?" Ino asked Tenten curiously.

"Well, after this, I was planning on training with Phillip," she answered.

"Training?" Temari looked at her quizzically. She was aware of Tenten having no chakra abilities and that she grew up like a princess in China. "I didn't know you trained. Does the training include weapons?"

"As a matter of fact, yes my training does include weapons," Tenten replied. "Bow and arrow."

"That's kind of primitive, don't you think," Temari remarked.

"If you ask me, a kunai or a shuriken doesn't seem too advanced compared to my bow and arrow," she remarked sarcastically.

"How do you know how to handle them?" Ino asked. "Weren't you raised like royalty?"

"I was," Tenten admitted. "But my father refused for me to be the weak link in the family. So he let me train with my brothers since I was young. I have been trained for combat, so to speak."

"Really?" Temari said. "I'm impressed."

"I'm bored," Ino complained. "Can we go shopping?"

"Sure!" Temari said. "I want a souvenir to bring back home. And I have a date with Shika tonight, so I'm going to need help with my outfit."

Ino nearly jumped out of her seat of excitement. They immediately went out shopping and willingly invited Tenten to come along. But she refused, telling them that she needed to spend some time with Phillip.

Tenten walked calmly towards the stable. She greeted her horse and readied him for the ride. She strapped her arrows around her back and put the bow in a pouch in the saddle. In other compartments, she put a few small axes and a dagger.

She mounted Phillip and headed towards the forest path. After about fifteen minutes of galloping, Tenten arrived at her special training site. There were red circles painted on several trees: they were her enemies, a target she needed to shoot. Tenten stroked Phillip across his long neck and whispered to him: "Ready boy? Let's get going."

She positioned herself alongside a tree which she marked as the starting point and after a few moments of focusing and clearing her mind, she motioned Phillip to start galloping. Phillip knew the path well, so he didn't need Tenten's guidance to run through the course.

Tenten took the two small axes, one in each hand and aimed for her first target. Her principle was throwing or shooting her weapons at a minimal distance of five meters. She focused on her target and threw the axe in her right hand and immediately aimed for the next target. Not long afterwards, she threw the other axe and reached for her bow. As swift as the speed of light, the arrows left her bow, meeting their targets.

_"This is the hard part,"_Tenten thought, as Phillip made a left turn. "This is it, boy!" she said to Phillip. Not far away from them, there was an obstacle on the path that Phillip had to jump over. And right at those few moments in the air she was supposed to shoot an arrow at a hiding target that was only seen when Phillip jumped. She pulled back her arm, and let go. She felt the arrow whooshing passed her; the sound and the feeling excited her. She could feel the rush of adrenaline in her system. After having galloped further, Tenten heard a snapping sound. It was a little trap she set for herself. At that moment, a bag filled with sand, hanging from a rope on a tree fell down on her left. She quickly grabbed her dagger and threw it. She could hear the rope cut and the bag fall down with a loud 'thud'. Satisfied, she galloped further and eliminated some few other targets. When she reached the finish line, she praised her horse.

"We did it, buddy!" she said excited. "We finished the course! Now let's see how well we did."

Strolling back to the starting line, Tenten collected her arrows, assessing the accuracy of her shots. She was reasonably satisfied with herself. Her aim was a little off but apart from that, she did better than before. She decided that she needed to focus on her taijutsu the next time. Fighting with weapons might not be a problem for her but if for once she may not have anything on her, she would be in trouble. Maybe Hinata could help her with a tutor. She got off Phillip to retrieve her dagger from the root of a tree. All of a sudden Tenten got an eerie feeling, like she was being watched by someone. She turned around to make sure that she was alone. Nothing. But if she had been spied on, they were probably good ninja's with a specialty in stealth. Duh. She quickly took her dagger. Not liking this bad feeling, she got back on Phillip and wanted to ride home as fast as she could. She also noticed that Phillip started to get restless; his nostrils were wide and open, his ears were pointing in different directions constantly and he was stomping with his front legs, whinnying softly. Now Tenten was sure she wasn't alone. The horse's senses were more acute than that of a human, and although she didn't want to admit it, she was starting to panic. She was skilled, being trained by her brothers, but she has never faced a real battle before and she didn't know how well she'd fare.

Hurriedly, she got back on Phillip and guided him away from the site. Out of nowhere, a ninja appeared and stood in her way. He didn't have a headband on, so she couldn't tell whether he was an enemy or an alliance of Konoha. Either way, she didn't feel any less scared.

"Who are you? Identify yourself," she demanded, reminding herself of who she was and knowing that showing fear now would only result in motivating the trespasser. She kept thinking about Sasuke; how would he handle situations like this? She needed to be strong, just like him. Panicking was not a choice.

The ninja, dressed in black, didn't answer her. He only smiled at her evilly. It made Tenten even more uncomfortable. Without waiting for him to do something that would probably harm her, she tapped Phillip's flanks with her heels, which sent him galloping passed the ninja. She looked behind her; he wasn't pursuing her. _'Something's not right,'_ she thought.

In a flash of a second she felt a striking pain in her upper right arm and an ever brighter pain in her right thigh. She was faintly aware of her blood trickling down from her wounds but she had no time to focus on them because Phillip started to stand on his hind legs. She lost grip of her rails and dropped off his back. Without her, Phillip galloped away. He was leaving a trail of blood behind and considering the amount that dripped down, he was hurt badly. She looked at herself. She had a shuriken in her upper arm, deeply pierced through her skin. The tip of it was probably grating against her bone because she could feel it every time she moved. With teeth clenched against each other and the lips pressed, she closed her eyes and pulled out the shuriken. Blood was pouring out of her arm. It was probably best if she had left it, but she had to consider the fact that the shuriken might be poisoned. Blood pouring out would then be a good thing. She looked at her leg: a kunai. That one felt like it penetrated her deeper than the shuriken. If it hit major arteries, she might bleed out if she removed it. But she wanted it out; it would hinder her in her mobility and that's the last thing she needs right now.

With great courage, she pulled the kunai out. Quickly, she ripped the fabric of her pants and tied it around her wound to add pressure. She didn't want to bleed out here in the woods. She took the kunai and tried to get up. She needed to get away now before the ninja's came back. At the moment that she was able to balance herself on her feet, she was surrounded by ninja's, all dressed in black. They were closing in on her. Tenten wasn't planning on giving up yet. She wasn't completely weaponless and even though a kunai wasn't her favorite kind of tool, she at least had something to defend herself with.

Tenten charged and attacked the ninja who was blocking the path. She pushed the kunai deep into his stomach, jumped over him and ran away from the crowd. Another ninja threw something at her, and she felt how her legs were caught and strangled in something. She fell and was soon surrounded by the ninja's again. She was grabbed by her arms and held up. The ninja's seemed like they were clearing a path for someone and she saw a hooded figure, covered in dark brown robes, walking towards her. She couldn't see his face, but she did see his thin lips, smiling sinisterly, while he had both his hands behind his back.

"What do you want?!" Tenten yelled. She felt angry, scared and helpless at the same time. The hooded figure only looked at her. He raised a hand and hit her head hard. The next thing she knew, everything blacked out…

**Konoha**

Sasuke leaped home. It was around five o'clock. He told Tenten he'd be home around six but there's was less work than he anticipated. He was happy to be off early; he wanted to see her, touch her again. And he couldn't wait. When he reached the house, he walked in immediately, looking for her. But she was nowhere to be seen. The servants told him that she went training and that she didn't come back yet. Usually Tenten should be home at this hour. He was aware of her training in the woods, but she always said that she'd be home around this time. He was starting to get worried.

_'Maybe she went out or something,'_ he tried to tell himself. But he had a feeling that something was terribly wrong. Things just didn't feel right. He sat on the sofa in the living room, pondering. He decided he'd wait some ten minutes and then go out to look for her in the woods. Not long after, he heard whinnying. He smiled.

_'She was out in the woods training, after all,'_ he thought. He looked outside the window but instead of seeing Tenten on the horse, he saw a very badly wounded Phillip. He ran outside, servants already surrounding the animal. Phillip had kunai's and shurikens on his body. His legs were trembling because of the loss of blood.

Sasuke didn't know what to think. He could feel his blood boiling out of rage but he also felt his worries gnawing on his sanity. What happened? He told the servants to care for the horse and he summoned his guards to follow him to the training site. He followed the blood trail that Phillip left behind and at the end of the trail he found a dead ninja, with a kunai sticking out of his stomach. A note was attached to the kunai. Sasuke picked it up and read:

_"If you ever want to see your precious wife again, Uchiha Sasuke, then you'd better bring me the Kusanagi. Meet me at the Nemuro coast, two days from now with the artifact. Remember: if you try anything funny, I will kill her."_

**A/N: **I hope that's good enough suspense for you guys. This is where the action all starts. Once again, I welcome new readers and I thank all of you, reviewers and readers alike, for sticking to my story. Hope you liked it! As always: read and review, please!


	10. Rescue

**A/N:** Again, I apologize for the long wait. I had several important tests divided in three weeks, so it was really hard for me to focus on the fic when I knew I had (a lot of) unfinished reading to do. I hope this chapter will please you all and I thank you for your patience and loyalty ;)

Go ahead and enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, or all the other characters in it

**Tenten**

Tenten woke up to the hurting and throbbing of her sore head. She could hear faint sounds in the background and gradually her hearing improved. They were voices and footsteps. She tried looking around her but somehow she still felt too weak to move her head. So she opened her eyes. In the beginning, her sight was very blurry; she couldn't even make out the amount of toes she had. She closed her eyes again and gave herself a moment. When she reopened them, her vision was cleared. She could see her feet in sandals. She saw the brown color of the sand she was sitting on and she felt the hard and cold surface of the wall she was leaning against. She also noticed that her feet were tied with rope and that she couldn't move her hands. At first she couldn't understand why she was in this position or in this place but then she remembered the incident with those ninja's.

Quickly she snapped back into reality, knowing that she might be in danger. She gained enough energy to look around now and the first thing she did was try to free her hands. It was no use; they were tied well together. She looked around her; she was in some sort hut. But it was oddly cold in here. She couldn't see much because it was quite dark. Through the wooden door on her left, flickering light shone through the slits of the planks. There were people outside working; she could hear them talking, arguing, discussing, working with tools but she couldn't make out what they were saying.

Slowly, Tenten got the feeling that she smelled something nasty. After she let her eyes get adjusted to the poor light, she looked around and screamed. In the right corner of the hut was the body of a badly mutilated ninja. He had deep cuts all over his body. In fact he was so covered in blood, there was barely any bloodless skin left anywhere. His legs were twisted in all the wrong angles and she believed that his arms were cut off. And was it her imagination, or did she see exposed innards? She moved towards the door as best as she could but couldn't keep her eyes off the horrible scene in the corner.

Not long after, a ninja opened the door. It was a huge man with a strange blue skin, small round eyes and the pointiest teeth she had ever seen.

"Finally up, huh?" the man said with a hoarse voice, more to himself than to Tenten. He roughly picked Tenten up, put her on his shoulder and carried her out the hut. She was relieved she didn't have to be in the same room with that mutilated guy but being carried around by someone who looked more like a monster than a human, wasn't any better. She protested but with her hands and feet tied up, it didn't make any difference. She gave in and waited till the huge guy dropped her somewhere. She took the opportunity to take a look at her surroundings. They were definitely underground somewhere; there was no sky, no vegetation. Just plain darkness, enlightened by torches everywhere, surrounded by endless walls of rock. Then again, it couldn't be just any cave because she noticed ruins on the far side. There were many bad guys walking around, carrying in wheelbarrows full of weapons, material and rock. She got the idea they were excavating something. She felt the monster who was carrying her, walking up steps. They entered some kind of stone building. It smelled very old, musky. The big man turned in a hall and entered another room. There he dropped her on the floor, like one would a bag of sand. If here hands weren't tied, she would've rubbed her sore tush. This guy had no respect for people.

"She's up," the big blue man said to the others in the room. "Can I kill her now?"

Tenten held her breath; she was in no need of dying now. She started to get scared; killing her would be a piece of cake in her condition. She looked at the men blue boy was talking to. There were only two other people in the room. They were discussing something and had their backs turned to them. One of them had long yellow blond hair and the other one's hair was light purple tied in a low ponytail. All of them had on the dark brown robe of the person who kidnapped her. She couldn't point out her kidnapper though because all she remembered was that evil smile before she passed out.

Blondy and purple weren't paying any attention to blue boy and eventually blue boy got impatient.

"Guys!" he said out loud. "Ignore me one more time and I will kill her without your consent."

Finally the others turned around. Purple had on round glasses and blondy kinda looked cute but the look on their faces exposed their true nature. It was dark, sinister and evil. And the way blondy was eying her was creeping her out.

"Don't kill her, Kisame," purple said calmly. "We still need her. Put her in the cabin somewhere she won't be a nuisance to the workers."

"Hmmm… Quite a fine piece you got here, yeah," the blond said to purple. "Mind if I have some fun?"

"No," purple said sternly. Tenten sighed of relief. She wouldn't want that creep anywhere near her. She'd rather have blue boy around. She may die quicker around him but better that than to be violated by a crazy looking nut head.

"Oww, come on Kabuto," he protested. He walked over to Tenten and took her face in his hand. "Only just a nibble, yeah."

"If you fucking mess with her, I will have your hands amputated," Kabuto threatened. He seemed awfully calm about it but that only scared Tenten more.

Blondy raised his hands in defeat but smirked at Tenten.

"Fine, have it your way," he said. "But if we manage to kill the asshole Sasuke, I will have her as my artistic inspiration." Kabuto didn't react to that but from the looks of it, he didn't seem to mind.

Tenten swallowed. What were they planning on doing? It was obvious they were picking on the Uchiha's lead family but what exactly did they want?

"Deidara," Kabuto ordered. "Take her to interrogation. You know what to do."

The blond, whose name seems to be Deidara, gave her that sinister smile again. Tenten had a sudden moment of flashback. Of course! He was the one who kidnapped her. To think that he'd be the one interrogating her; she'd rather die.

Deidara swung her on his shoulders and carried her out of the room. They walked up several stairs again and ended up in a dark room, lit by a single candle on a wooden table in the middle of the room. Just like the blue monster Kisame, Deidara dropped her on the floor. He hunched down, so they'd meet eye to eye. Deidara stroked her face slowly. Out of disgust, Tenten turned away quickly.

"Don't you touch me!" she threatened.

"Or what?" he mocked. "You're the one all tied up, yeah."

He took her chin roughly in his hand and made her look at him. "Kabuto may have said that I shouldn't mess with you," he continued as he spoke softly. "But he never said I couldn't do it clean."

Whatever he planned, Tenten would never allow him to touch her. She was scared indeed because she was helpless. But she will fight back. She has been raised to be a confident and strong woman and on top of that, she married a man who was highly respected in his village. She didn't want to give herself that easily to anyone. The fire in her started to burn. It was like thinking of Sasuke made her even stronger, boosted her will power to keep her head high. If she died, she'd die fighting, defending her honor.

Deidara grabbed one of her breasts and squeezed it tightly. Tenten backed away instinctively but his grip was firm and definite; he didn't let go. Before she could push him off, he quickly slammed her mouth onto his. He pushed his tongue in her mouth, forcing himself in. Tenten was shocked at first but when she realized what was going on, she bit down hard on his tongue and only let go when she could taste the coppery flavor of crimson blood.

Deidara pushed her off him. He held his hand against his mouth, feeling the blood trickling out. He spit some out, the blood leaving several dark stains on the floor.

"You bitch!" he scolded. He came closer to her and slapped her hard on the face. Tenten felt her head flying to her left. The slap was so powerful; she felt it all the way in the vertebrae of her neck. Right afterwards, she felt Deidara grab her hair and turned her to face him.

"You're gonna pay for that, yeah," he said. He had a bewildered and insane look in his eyes that scared Tenten to death. But she didn't want to show fear, so she spit in his face.

"Ugh! That's it!" he exclaimed. "You're lucky I can't kill you, yeah. Because I swear I can blow your fucking head into pieces, you goddamn slut! Let's see how feisty you'll be after two days without food and water." That being said, he stood up, walked out the door and slammed it shut.

Tenten sighed out of relieve. For a moment there, she really thought he'd do horrific things to her. But if he meant what he said, that she'd go two days without food and water, she wouldn't have enough kick in her left for an escape. She looked around the bare room once again and fixed her eyes on the candle. As careful as she could, she stood up and sat on the table, being careful not to bump on to it. Luckily the table wasn't too high, so she was able to sit on it without jumping. She was planning on burning the ropes her hands were tied with, with the fire of the candle. But her hands were tied behind her back, so she wouldn't be able to see what she was doing. She decided to trust her senses because she had to get those ropes off (her wrists were killing her!).

So she sat on the table, facing the door, the candle behind her. Blindly, she looked for the candle. When she felt its wax, she slowly bent forward, so she could let her hands travel upwards, towards the flame. Being aware of the danger of fire, she clenched her teeth together and prepared for impact. She hissed loudly, when she burned her finger but she acted immediately by putting her wrists above the flame. When the ropes where loose, she grabbed her burned skin and immediately spit on it, hoping that the saliva would cool it down. Now that her hands were free, she loosened her legs. She stretched out, feeling like her limbs got numb from the stiff position she was in.

Tenten stood up, walked towards the door and tried to open it.

Damn.

Locked.

She turned around and sat in the corner. She started rethinking everything. All of a sudden all of her emotions rose to the surface, and there in the corner, all by herself, she started sobbing.

**The hokage's office**

"We have to go fucking save her!" Sasuke was furious. He was ranting and pacing inside Naruto's office. After he found out about Tenten's kidnapping he loyally reported to his father about the incident and wanted to put together his own team to go save Tenten. But his father told him to report to the hokage, because he feared there was something bigger behind the kidnapping. Sasuke had protested; Tenten was his wife. This was an Uchiha affair and in his opinion, the hokage didn't need to be involved. But Fugaku was determined about his decision and angrily he went to notify Naruto. He was muttering about how much time they were wasting but he did as he was told and now the hokage was telling him that they can't go after her.

"Calm down, Sasuke." Naruto was surprised that he was being calm himself. Having been hokage for some years now, he was experienced enough to know that orientation and planning were important at this stage rather than to go out waging war on an enemy no one knows anything about.

"We need to think about this carefully because if we don't we might get her killed." Naruto did his best to convince his old friend. He knew that when Sasuke gets emotionally involved, his brilliant mind starts to shroud and he won't be able to think clearly. Sasuke buried his hands in his hair and knocked a hole in the wall. It was driving him mad that they were just sitting there doing nothing.

Naruto had summoned his tacticians and his elders to help him solve the case. No one knew about the strange group who took Tenten and why they needed the Uchiha family relic. Especially Shikamaru didn't feel good about all of this. In the end the hokage decided to comply with the rules of the kidnapper. They didn't know who they were dealing with but they thought it was best to be prepared and bring them what they want.

Sasuke wasn't happy of course but maybe this was the best thing to do. He went home, like Naruto requested, and tried to rest. The Nemura coast was about 500 miles to the east of Konoha and it would take them about a day to get there IF they kept running without stopping. Before Sasuke stepped into the bed, he wrapped the Kusanagi in some fabric and put it in a special case that he would be able to wear on his back. As far as he knows his best men, including Itachi, would be joining him in the rescue mission.

"Whoever you guys are," Sasuke whispered before shutting his eyes. "I hope you are fucking ready because I will drag you to a place worse than hell itself."

**Tenten**

Life wasn't easy for the brunette. When Deidara threatened her with no food and water, he was serious. He had ordered for his men to bring her nothing until he said so. But luckily, she did have a caretaker: an old man who was to clean up her waste (because she had to do everything in the room, under no condition was she allowed to leave) and replace the candle once every day. And during his visits, he'd smuggle in a small bottle with water and two dry toasts. She was grateful for the old man but it wasn't enough to keep her strength up. After two days, the three major bad guys entered her room. She was sitting in a corner and would've stood up when she saw them but she was too weak to do so. Deidara grinned at his results. He walked up to her and grabbed her chin. He seemed to be fond of doing that.

"This is way better, yeah," he said devilishly. "Now I can make you do anything I want."

"Deidara!" Kabuto reprimanded him. Reluctantly, Deidara let go of Tenten and made way for their leader. Kabuto walked up to Tenten and bent down, looking her straight in the eyes, his hands behind his back.

"Today you're gonna prove your worth," he whispered. He smiled at her when he said it but he scared her to death. "Let's see how much you mean to that poor clan leader."

When he bent down, Tenten was able to see a necklace falling down his neck. She couldn't see it clearly but somehow the necklace seemed familiar. She had no time to fully examine it because right after Kabuto's whispers, he walked away from her, out the door. Kisame threw her on his shoulders again and walked out, following Kabuto. Soon after, her vision went black; because her lack of food and water, she passed out.

**Nemura coast**

Sasuke was pacing again. It didn't seem like he was able to stand still. Itachi has been observing his little brother ever since they left for the coast. He has never seen him this anxious before. And that expression on his face; Itachi suspected that the slightest irritation might cause him to erupt like a giant volcano. And he's on the verge of losing it. Naruto, his men and the Uchiha clan have just arrived at the coast and they were resting to regain their strength. To reach the coast on time, they have been running non-stop at full speed and it has taken its toll on the small army. Men were exhausted and hungry. Naruto was organizing their meals (or maybe he just wanted to be near the ramen before anyone else), while medics like Sakura and Ino were tending small, superficial injuries caused by the trip. They have about a day to rest, tomorrow would be the exchange. Sasuke couldn't wait; he wanted to barge in now, he wanted to look for her. But he didn't know where she was and that was eating him up alive.

"Sasuke!" Itachi called out to his brother. He had a bowl of tomato soup and some bread in his hands. He shoved them in Sasuke's arms.

"Eat," he demanded. "You won't do any of us any good when you're a weak."

Sasuke looked at his brother and then at the food. He sighed and sat down to eat.

"Listen," Itachi spoke. "I know how anxious you are now that we're finally here. But I need you to calm down. Don't let your anger shroud your judgment. What the hell happened to your rationality?!"

Sasuke looked at his big brother. He knew he was right. He had no idea what's gotten into him and it was only good for one thing: destruction. If he didn't get himself together, he might do more bad than good. And that might cause him Tenten's life. He didn't answer Itachi and neither did he look at him. He just sat there, quietly eating his meal, thinking.

"I'll calm down for now," he said while staring at the fire. "But once the war has started, I won't hold back."

Itachi looked at him. Sasuke was serious. And he was well aware of his capabilities and the truth of his words. He sighed and laid a hand on his kid brother's shoulders. Then he turned around and walked towards a different camp fire, where Sakura was restocking her medicine bag. She was planning on sharpening her weapons next, when she noticed Itachi walking up to her. The slender man was quiet and sat next to her. Sakura observed his expressionless face. She has been close enough to him to notice that he was worried and passed a glance at Sasuke.

"How's he taking this?" she asked him.

At first Itachi was quiet. He was staring at the fire, his folded hands in front of his mouth.

"I'm afraid he's up to no good," he answered her. "When the shit's going down tomorrow, there won't be any stopping him. I almost feel sorry for our opponents."

"Sasuke's up on one of his killing sprees again, isn't he," Sakura joked. "Having one of his tantrums. Better bring him his pacifier."

Itachi smiled at her and put an arm around her shoulder.

"I just hope he doesn't go too far," he said softly. "Because then he'd not only be a danger to the enemies but also to us and himself."

**The exchange**

When Tenten opened her eyes, she couldn't see anything. She heard waves crashing against rock. When her eyes adjusted to the limited amount of light, she could tell she wasn't in her previous holding cell anymore. It was dark, wet and she could hear her voice echoing. She was all alone. It didn't take her long to realize she was in a cave of some sort, very close to the sea. She could actually see the water and smelled its saltiness. Outside the cave some light of the day shone in and she figured it would get dark very soon. And alarmingly, she noticed the water coming closer. It was probably high tide. This would pose a problem because her hands and feet were tied together. If the water gets any higher, she might drown!

Naruto and his little army were waiting by the beach of the Nemura coast. Sasuke was standing beside him. Naruto noticed that Sasuke had a very bad vibe surrounding him but he didn't pay too much attention to it. He thought it was just the atmosphere of war that was doing that to him.

Across them was another army of people dressed in black, their three leaders standing in front of them. As if on cue both the leaders from the black army and Konoha walked towards each other. And of course, Sasuke was the first to speak.

"Where is she?!" he demanded.

"My, my," Kabuto mocked. "Someone seems to be irritated. Woke up from the wrong side of the bed?"

Sasuke wanted to lunge at him but Naruto held him back.

"Calm down, man!" Naruto scolded. "If you want Tenten back alive, then this is not the way to do it."

"Who are you?" Naruto asked Kabuto.

"Introductions?" Kabuto looked at him quizzically. "There's no need for that and frankly that is of no importance. Did you bring the object of trade?"

Naruto glanced at Sasuke who took the Kusanagi from the case of his back and unwrapped the family relic from its fabric. Kabuto's eyes started to widen, sparkle even, and he reached out for it. Sasuke pulled back the Kusanagi.

"Not until you tell me where she is," he hissed.

"Well then," Kabuto said and smiled at him. "Why don't you go find her yourself? But I must say: her time is running out."

Right at that moment, Kisame attacked Sasuke and Deidara Naruto. Because the two were taken by surprise, they were a little confused at first but quickly regained their senses. They tried fighting off their assailants but they couldn't. Every time they tried hitting them, their attacks were bounced off because they seem to be protected by some kind of force field surrounding them. Kisame was going at Sasuke like a dog with rabies, fighting him, punching him non-stop. Because of the force field, Sasuke couldn't do much to Kisame. He was thrown from one side to the other and at a certain point, he let go of the Kusanagi in his hands. Kisame noticed and grabbed it immediately. Right afterwards, he retreated. And so did Kabuto and Deidara. Sasuke couldn't follow them, because he was attacked by bad guy's black army. When they saw that their leaders were fighting, both armies lunged for attack and it seemed that the goal of the black army was to keep Naruto and Sasuke down.

In a matter of seconds, the pristine white sanded beach turned into a bloody and cold battlefield. There were so many enemies (and some strong ones between them) that it took Sasuke some time to defeat. When he finally fought off an annoying ninja and had some time alone, he looked around him: everybody was consumed with battle but Kabuto, Kisame and Deidara were nowhere to be seen. And what's worse: they got their hands on the Kusanagi and he still had no clue where Tenten was. Sasuke was so full of rage he did something he never did unless he was absolutely certain that only his enemies were on the battlefield: he activated his Amaterasu. Without consideration for his own people, he aimed the black flames at any enemy he could spot but also hurting some of his allies during the proces. Itachi saw the danger and ran towards him as fast as he could.

"What is this nonsense?!" he yelled angrily. "Stop this! You're killing everybody!"

"If you don't want to die, I suggest you just fucking back off!" Sasuke hissed through clenched teeth. Itachi was shocked by the impression on Sasuke's face. Never had his kid brother looked so merciless before. But that didn't scare him off and he hit him as hard as he could, sending Sasuke flying a few meters away. Itachi ran after him and before Sasuke was able to stand up, Itachi punched him several times regardless of the fact how the two were related. Right now, Sasuke posed a threat and therefore he was an enemy. He stopped punching and grabbed Sasuke's collar to look at his bruised face.

"Stop the Amaterasu, Sasuke," he threatened. "You're killing your own people! And if you don't stop this right now, I swear I'll kill you."

Somehow, that brought Sasuke back to his senses and he immediately undid his mistake. He had done some serious damage, to the enemy as well as his own people but luckily the burn wasn't too severe and everybody would survive. Without remorse, Sasuke picked up a follower of Kabuto and looked him in the eye; making sure he saw the insanity of the Mangekyou.

"If you don't tell me where my wife is," he said softly. "I will do worse things to you than I can do with the Amaterasu that you just saw."

The enemy was shaking heavily and was clearly afraid of him.

"She… she…," he stammered. "She's in the cave. Please don't kill me…"

The guy pointed towards a cliff not far from the beach. Apparently there was a cave at its bottom. Sasuke immediately saw the danger: if Tenten was in there, she had very little time left because the tide was coming in quickly and she might drown. And as fast as he could, he leaped towards the cliff, hoping furiously that he wasn't too late.

**Tenten**

She was getting very, very worried now. In fact; she was terrified! The water had reached her and was already up to her neck. She tried to stand up, but then she noticed that she had weights around her feet which prevented such an action. The waves weren't stopping either so she had constant splashes of water against her face. She had to cough out water several times. When the water got even higher and she had to take in a breath of air, she really thought she was going to die here. She felt hurt, scared and she wanted to cry. She felt her body suffocating, she had to breathe! Having no choice and out of pure instinct, she opened her mouth to breathe. Water came into her system instead and slowly her vision started to fade again.

"Is this how things will end?" was the last thing she thought of. "Am I drowning?"

**Sasuke**

As fast as he could, he swam towards the cave, desperation taking the better of him. He was scared; he didn't want to lose her! He swam in but saw nothing. There was very little sunlight left but he could tell that the tide was high enough to cover whatever dry sand there was in this cave. He started diving but under water things were even darker. He came back up for a breath of air and went down immediately. This time, he swam farther up the cave, squinting his eyes, trying to see as much as he could. The waves of the ocean weren't doing him any good because they were constantly pushing and pulling on him. But then he saw something white; Tenten's clothes. He immediately swam towards her. She was already unconscious and he knew he had to hurry. He untied her and swam to the surface, not stopping until he reached the shore.

When he reached the beach, he put her down carefully. He bent down, putting his ear to her mouth; she wasn't breathing.

"Come on, Tenten," he said. "Wake up. Don't you dare do this to me."

He started to perform CPR, but it didn't seem like she was responding. All of a sudden, he felt that hands were pulling him away from her and he stood there looking at how Ino and Sakura were working on the drenched young lady on the beach. Sasuke felt numb, like the life was being sucked out of him. He felt like all the sound around him faded into a deadly silence and slowly the thought crossed his mind that Tenten might not make it. He fell to his knees; weak from exhaustion and emotional unbalance. Tears started to fall from his eyes, when all of a sudden, Tenten coughed out the water in her lungs. Sasuke immediately responded by rushing towards her. But Tenten wasn't awake; her eyes were still closed and she was still unconscious but at least she was breathing.

"We have to bring her to the hospital," he heard Sakura say. "She's in critical condition, but I think she'll make it." Some men were putting Tenten on a stretcher and carried her off the beach. Sasuke wanted to follow, but a hand on his shoulder held him back. It was Naruto.

"I'm afraid you have to come with me, Sasuke," he said seriously. "What the hell happened?! Baka! You aimed a powerful jutsu at your own people! This is unforgivable. You won't be standing alongside Tenten during recovery because you will have to appear in court. I'm sorry, Sasuke. But u committed a serious crime and just because you're my friend, doesn't mean I'll go easy on you."

**A/N:** Wow, another chapter done. Hope you enjoyed it! Tell me what you guys think, pretty please…. *bats my eyelashes*


	11. Together Again

Chapter 11 Together again

**A/N:** I thank you all for your patience and for sticking around to this story. Hope you like this! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto in any way or any form

**Tenten**

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Very slowly, the beeping started to become clear. The blackness Tenten saw before her, dissipated. There was light at the end of this tunnel. There was hope.

When she fully opened her eyes, she saw white walls. She heard birds chirping outside. A fresh breeze of cool wind met her face. Tenten felt relaxed, at home. The sun on her skin felt warm and welcoming and the silence around her was comforting. It took her awhile to be able to see her whole environment. It was almost as if her eyes were glued shut and she had to get used to opening them again. When she fully regained the strength of her eyes, she noticed that she was in a hospital bed. She was wearing those hospital robes and she had an infuse in her right hand. When she looked at her right, she saw an open window. She couldn't look outside really, because a big tree was blocking her view. But she didn't mind it; the tree's presence was nice to her. On her left was the electro-cardio graph, monitoring her heartbeat. Even that noisy machine felt like home. Her room was filled with fresh flowers. It made it smell nice. Tenten smiled. It may not be a good thing to wake up in a hospital, but this was better than being with those bad guys.

The door opened and a doctor stepped inside, wearing a long white coat and a clipboard in her hands. Judging from her bright pink locks, Tenten could tell that it was Sakura. She smiled at the pinkette; she was so happy to see someone she knew.

Sakura was so busy concentrating on her clipboard; she didn't notice Tenten was awake until she turned to look at her bed.

"Oh my god," she said surprised. "You're awake! How do you feel?"

"A little light headed," Tenten admitted. "But I'm sure I'll be fine." Her throat felt oddly dry; almost like sandpaper.

"Now that you're awake, I'm absolutely positive you will be," Sakura said happily.

She walked up to the ECG to check up on her heart and then to the infuse to see if its level wasn't too low. All the while, Tenten looked at her puzzled. She had questions she wanted to ask and she couldn't wait.

"The fact that I'm here," she started. "Is a sign that I have been saved."

"Yup!" Sakura agreed.

"But what happened to me?"

"Well… It's many things, actually. First of all, you drowned. But we got you out of that state quickly. But you were also severely dehydrated and you're low on energy reserves. You're body couldn't take it, so you lost consciousness. You're body was so beaten up, you were in coma for about five days now."

"Five days?" Tenten said, unable to believe that. "That long?"

"Don't worry," Sakura tried to calm her down. "A coma isn't always a bad thing. In your case, your body and mind just needed to shut down for a little while so it could reboot itself."

"I guess I can understand that," Tenten said hesitantly. She wasn't quite sure if she was satisfied with that answer but she decided she wasn't going to ask about it. She had another urgent question to ask her.

"Where's Sasuke?"

She was actually surprised not to see him by her side when she woke up. All the bad scenario's of the things that might've happened to him started to creep up on her. Did he die? Was he ok?

Sakura scratched her head first in response. Her facial expression told Tenten that this was a rather complicated subject.

"Well… " Sakura tried. "Sasuke's case is a little more intricate than yours, Tennie."

"Why? What happened? Is he ok?"

"Don't worry, he's just fine. But the thing is, he's kinda in jail at the moment."

"Jail?" Tenten asked out loudly. "Why? What did he do wrong?"

Sakura sat down on her bed and thought of ways to tell her what Sasuke had done wrong without making it sound like he was the bad guy.

"When Sasuke couldn't find you, he lost control. And he used a very powerful jutsu to eliminate the enemy. But he was reckless and he injured his own people along the way. He was brought before the court a few days ago and was sentenced to two weeks in jail."

"Two weeks…"

"Yes, two weeks. But he should consider himself lucky: he almost got banned from the village but regarding his position, it was a little hard for the judge to sentence him with that."

"His position?" Tenten inquired. "You mean his position as the son of the clan leader?"

"No, sweetie," Sakura said, shaking her head. "As the clan leader himself."

Tenten didn't really understand. The last time she checked, Sasuke wasn't the clan leader (yet).

"The day you got kidnapped," Sakura tried to explain. "Was the day Sasuke got promoted to clan leader. I believe he came home early that day to give you the good news."

"I see," Tenten said defeated. She felt like she missed an important moment in Sasuke's life. And because of her he got sent to jail.

"Where is he now?" she asked Sakura.

"In a holding cell guarded by the ANBU," Sakura answered. "Only ANBU members allowed. So I'm afraid you won't be able to visit him."

Feeling guilty about what happened, Tenten lowered her head. Sakura noticed immediately and stroked her hair.

"Don't feel bad about this, Tennie," she said to try to comfort her. "I have known Sasuke for a long time now and I know for sure he doesn't regret anything he's done. Because he believes he did it for the right cause: to save you. The best thing you could do for him now is get better quickly."

Tenten smiled at the pinkette. Maybe she was right. At this moment, her only focus should be her recovery. She owes that much to her husband.

**11 days later**

Sasuke waited patiently in his cell for his release. He's been waiting for this moment for awhile now. He wanted to see her. Nothing else mattered. Because of the severity of his crime, he wasn't allowed to have any contact with the outside world but considering the fact that his brother was the ANBU captain, he was able to get a few favors done. One of them was to provide Tenten's hospital room with fresh flowers every day she spent there recovering. And his brother was kind enough to tell him how well she recovered. Tenten has been discharged from the hospital for a week now. He heard she's back on Phillip's back and that she's perfectly fine. Unless he could see that with his own eyes, he had a hard time believing that.

When two ANBU members, one of them being Sai, arrived at his door, he knew it was finally time for him to go. He heard that his wife was waiting by the front gates for him and he wanted to look nice. And he couldn't have done things any better: dressed in black pants, shiny shoes and a white long sleeved shirt, he looked more like a businessman than a prisoner. Sai smiled at him; a rarely seen genuine smile. He was curious about the feelings going through Sasuke and he wanted to watch his reunion. But he had a gut feeling that that wouldn't be such a good idea.

Led by the two ANBU members, Sasuke reached the front gate. Tenten was waiting for him in a simple floral summer dress. It was a very beautiful bright day and for once, she let her hair down. When she saw Sasuke, she felt tears prickling behind her eyes. When he was released, she ran in his arms. Sasuke held her close, buried his face on her shoulders, smelling the sweet scent of her hair. After a long moment of reconnection, Sasuke took her face in his hands and looked at her, staring her deep in her eyes.

"Are you okay?" he asked her softly.

She nodded and looked at him shyly. He tilted her head up and kissed her. It was a long, intimate kiss. It was one that they both needed. But they eventually stopped. Tenten was clearly blushing. Sasuke smiled at her, put an arm around her shoulder and wanted to walk home with her. That's when he noticed that Tenten wasn't the only one welcoming the Uchiha clan leader back. There were several (important!) members of his clan, the hokage and many more colleagues. He stopped right there, feeling a little ashamed himself. What he did to his wife, kissing her for a long period of time, out in public (especially this kind) was very inappropriate. Ino broke the silence with her giggles.

"Wow, Sasuke," she said. "I guess you really needed some sugar."

Slowly, the crowd started to laugh along. His friends welcomed him back to the free world and the elders politely shook his hand. Especially for this occasion, a small garden party was planned at the clan leader's home: the Uchiha household at the edge of the forest. It was a pleasant, sunny day. There were drinks, barbeque, laughs and warmth. For once, all the worries, the responsibilities and troubles were forgotten and everybody concentrated on being happy. Most of the time, Sasuke had his arms around his wife's waist, while he had pleasant conversations with his closest friends. He didn't want her away from him for too long. Perhaps the kidnapping had made him a little more conscious about her whereabouts. Tenten didn't mind it at all: she actually found the extra attention a little interesting.

After the party, at around 8 p.m., Sasuke and Tenten finally had some time together. The clan leader sent all the servants home, so he could have some quality time with his wife. He opened up a bottle of wine and served Tenten some.

"Hmmm," she said, surprised. "You're serving me your special wine. What's the occasion?"

"I think you're well aware of that," he answered her with a naughty look in his eyes. "We're celebrating your health. And my release. But the latter isn't that important."

He cuddled her into a hug, his chin on top of her head. "Nothing's more important to me than you."

Tenten closed her eyes in content. She was happy with her life, despite that horrible kidnapping. Sasuke let go of her and walked towards the stereo set in the living room and soon after, soft and romantic music was playing. He put down his glass of wine and walked up to Tenten, bowing and offering his hand to her.

"May I have this dance?" he asked her. Tenten giggled a bit. She had never known this side of him.

"Ofcourse," she said, as she took his hand. They danced very close to each other and the moment seemed perfect. Sasuke softly planted some kisses on her shoulders. Tenten sighed out of pleasure. He was giving her goose bumps and the chills were running down her spine. She felt tingling all over her body but she didn't want him to stop his loving. With his fingertips, he traced the places he just kissed and slowly moved upwards to the radiant skin of her face. Her big brown eyes reminded him of the forest trees, the peaceful silence of Mother Nature. Without thinking twice, he moved his lips closer to hers and without hesitation, Tenten answered his longing.

Unlike the kiss of this morning, this was different. She felt an intense wanting and was aware of what she felt against her breasts; his strong, muscular chest and the heart that's beating within it. She felt safe again, back in her haven. This is where she belonged, where she was meant to be. His arms were enveloping her, lightly pushing her against him. His kisses got a little deeper, a bit wilder, so to speak. She was moaning as a reaction to his kisses and she wanted more. She wanted to be lifted up again, to the highest places pleasure can bring her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing him closer to her as they kissed.

Slowly, Sasuke's right hand started to slide lower, towards her right butt cheek. He squeezed it slightly but immediately moved lower towards her thigh and lifted it up, to his waist. This caused his manliness to get closer to her core. She heaved a heavy sigh because his hardness was very, very clear to her now (as if it wasn't before; she actually felt it growing!). Tenten smiled and giggled at him. He responded the same way and with both his hands on her ass, he lifted her up, forcing her to wrap her legs around his waist.

"Owh! Sasuke… What are you doing?" she asked, mildly surprised. She sounded more inviting than rejective.

"Let's go to a room that's more appropriate for our actions, shall we?" he asked politely. And in that position, Tenten's legs around his waist, he carried her up the stairs to the master bedroom. She giggled all the way and when he started on the stairway, she kissed him passionately. The kiss came so suddenly that Sasuke kinda lost his footing for a bit and he had to stop a little to adjust his mind into doing two things at a time: walking the staircase and kissing his wife.

When they finally arrived in the bedroom, Sasuke practically threw Tenten on the bed. He took off his shirt and pants before crawling on top of her. He was wearing his boxers but Tenten could clearly see how aroused he is. She still feels shy whenever she sees him erect like that. She still had trouble believing that all of that can fit into her. The thought of him entering her, made her shiver. The pleasant current down her spine was accentuated when Sasuke kissed her legs and made his way up towards the inside of her thighs. His kisses were soft, sensual and wet; it got her squirming and groaning for more. Sasuke pulled her upright and swiftly took off her dress. And there she was, in her black lingerie; satin and lace, just the way he liked it. His mouth started to water when he saw her magnificent, pure and untouched body. She was so innocent, so inexperienced but it made him crave her even more.

He launched at her, kissing her hard on her lips while his hands were fiddling with the hooks of her bra. It didn't take long for him to undo it and when the cold evening air hit Tenten's nipples, she broke off the kiss, suddenly aware of her nudity. Sasuke didn't waste any time: he pulled her legs closer to him, making her fall back on the bed and before she knew it, he had taken off her panties. And when she lay there, totally naked, her legs spread apart, he took a moment and observed every curve of her body, taking in all the beauty he was seeing.

Tenten stared at him. He's a little wild today but by no means is she afraid of him. In fact, she felt rather curious; what was going through his mind? What is he thinking of? When he took off her panties and was staring at her, she fixed her gaze on the expression on his face. At first, she saw pure, raw lust. But as his eyes, moved higher towards her face, his expression softened and by the time he was staring her straight in the eyes, she saw love, an intense longing. And she wanted him too, she wanted to feel his whole body against hers. Slowly, she sat up on the bed, put an arm around his neck and kissed him. She wanted him to feel her love. Sasuke responded by pulling her closer to him, kissing her, going down her jaw line, nibbling on her earlobe and softly kissing her neck. His hands were all around her back, pulling her closer to him. That made her clearly feel the hardness of his core and it aroused her. She bit him on the nape of his neck and on his shoulders, scratching his back slightly. She felt him holding her ass with both his hand and how he lifted her and slowly positioned himself at her entrance. She gasped when she felt his member at her opening and looked him in the eyes.

"Are you ready?" he whispered. She nodded softly and held him tightly, waiting for impact.

Slowly, Sasuke let himself slide in her. She didn't need any stimulation, she was already so wet. He forced himself to take it slow and let her slide down at her own pace. This cost him a tremendous amount of effort; he's been in jail for weeks and he didn't have his release. He even refused to jerk off because he wanted to do this with her and not within the prison walls. And now that they're finally here, he didn't want any of this to end. Some part of his mind was aware of the fact that Tenten was biting down hard on his shoulder and that she had her nails deep in his skin. But that didn't matter now. What they were doing felt right. He loved her and she returned it. That's all that mattered.

After slowly moving her up and down, her grip on him had loosened and her moans were indicating pleasure more and more instead of pain. He took her by her hips and guided her movement, moving his own hips along the way. Tenten's body was soaring with sinful pleasure, her moans were becoming louder and she kissed him hard, to try to muffle it away; she didn't want anyone to know what they were doing. Sasuke increased the rate at which she was moving her hips up and down, slamming her on his dick hard. Then he laid her down on the bed, him on top of her. He removed himself from her, disconnecting the bond between them. She looked at him questioningly, wondering why he'd stop. Sasuke didn't look at her. Instead, he focused on her breasts. Reaching out to a nipple with his tongue, drawing circles around it and taking it in his mouth, suckling her like a baby would've done. To pleasure her even more, he slid a finger inside her and slowly moved in and out. She was so wet, it was driving him crazy! Tenten automatically moved her hips according to the speed at which his finger was entering her. She wanted him real bad. Why was he teasing her like this? And just as she thought she wouldn't be able to take it anymore, he removed his finger and instantly replaced it with his hardness. Tenten gasped at the sudden expansion of her vaginal walls; clearly his dick is larger than his finger.

He slowly moved in and out but not long after, he was moving very quickly and with such intensity. Tenten thought she was going to lose her mind in pleasure. Sasuke was grunting, enjoying every thrust. Every time he slid into her, the gates of heaven had opened. The pleasure was indescribable. He saw she was enjoying it as much as he was and that aroused him even more. He pulled out of her, making her feel empty and lonely. He took her by her hips and turned her around. He wanted her from behind; he wanted to admire her ass. Tenten, still drunk with pleasure, complied easily. When he entered her, she felt complete. She enjoyed every single inch of him and she didn't want him to stop. He was moving in such rapid succession and he entered her so deeply, she felt like she was about to break. Eventually it was like her barrier was about to overflow; the pleasure was so intense! She moaned louder and louder, screaming out his name. And then…it was like she saw a bright light and she was aware of her vaginal walls contracting. The pleasure had reached its highest point.

Not long after Tenten climaxed, so did Sasuke. He felt himself spilling it all inside of her and it was as if she was sucking him dry. It felt so good, he kinda lost his breath there for a second and he had to lean on her for support.

When they finally laid down next to each other, into each other's arms, they both felt very content and satisfied. Neither of them had to say a word. When they closed their eyes to rest they both knew they loved each other. And for now, that's all that mattered.

**A/N:** Talk about a hot ending ;) Hope y'all liked it! And please review. Gives me more spirit to write. Next chapter there will be more trouble. It ain't over yet. R&R!


	12. The Armor

Chapter 12 The Armor

**A/N:** And here is the long awaited chapter 11. Oooh…what's gonna happen now? Well I'm afraid you're gonna have to read it yourself ;) Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto

"Here you go," Tenten said to Sasuke with a smile. They had woken up just about an hour ago and were now having breakfast. Sasuke didn't have a day off but he wanted to spend some time with his wife, so he said he'd be in the office very, very late today. But paperwork was the last thing on his mind right now. He felt happy, being with her and he wanted to enjoy every second of it. Tenten had made him bacon, eggs and French toast for breakfast. She enjoyed preparing things for him and she liked to see him eat whatever she made. She felt like she couldn't be any happier. After breakfast Sasuke took on his serious face again and was looking at her as if he was about to say something bad. She got a little worried.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I've been thinking last night," he answered. "There's something I'd like to do. Or rather, something I'd like to give you."

He looked at her while playing with the rim of his coffee cup. He then dug into his coat pocket and took out a small blue velvet covered box.

"I was going to present you with this on our anniversary," he continued. "But seeing as to how things can go from really good to absolutely terrible rapidly, I might as well give you this today. I realized that we cannot know what tomorrow might bring and I want to live every day to the fullest, while I have you with me."

He opened the box and in it rested a thin silver necklace with an oval shaped jade pendant.

"This necklace belonged to a generation way before my grandparent's time and has been passed on to the wife of each clan leader. And I would like for you to wear this as a symbol of our honor, our status and you're position as my wife.

It may not be the most expensive jewelry there is out there," Sasuke added, smiling. "But it is very precious to us and it symbolizes the strain the Uchiha clan has been through and the strength we gained along the way."

Tenten was speechless; she didn't know what to say. It was a beautiful and simple necklace but Sasuke's words were what touched her the most.

"I'd be honored to wear this in my husband's name," she answered proudly.

Sasuke removed the necklace from its box and went to Tenten to wear it for her. When it was attached, he stood in front of her and bent down to see how the necklace suited her.

"Beautiful," he commented. He took her hand and kissed it.

Right at that moment a servant scurried to the kitchen and bowed his head deeply.

"Gomenasai, Uchiha-sama!" he said. "But I've just received word from an ANBU messenger: the hokage would like to see you immediately. And your wife is supposed to be present as well."

Tenten looked at Sasuke. Whatever this was, it couldn't be anything good. And they soon left for the hokage's tower.

Naruto's office was temporarily converted into a small meeting room; the desk was gone and there were chairs facing one wall where a blackboard was put up. That's supposedly where the speaker will stand and where the tactics would be drawn. Naruto didn't look all too happy. First of all, there was that gang of people who kidnapped Tenten and stole a valuable relic. Second, there was his pregnant wife whom he wanted to take care of but the office keeps calling him. And finally, he hadn't had a good night sleep for a few days. There were so many issues going on and it was quite stressful. Sometimes he wondered why he wanted to become hokage so badly in the first place.

When Tenten and Sasuke arrived, everybody was already present including Shikamaru, Sai, Itachi and of course Hinata. Tenten sat next to her. She looked very pensive and was fiddling with her growing stomach. She was so lost in thoughts; she didn't notice Tenten sitting next to her. When Tenten touched her hand to catch her attention, she was startled.

"Oh, Tenten-chan," She said surprised. "I didn't see you there. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Tenten assured her. "Are you okay?"

Hinata bit on her lips; she wasn't sure if she wanted to tell her what's on her mind.

"I…," she stammered. "I'm not allowed to tell."

"Tell me what?" she insisted.

"Something happened. At home. The Hyuuga's home. I don't think I'm allowed to talk about it."

"Is it serious?"

Hinata looked at her. She was worried.

"I'm not sure. But I think it is."

"Does Naruto know about this?"

"No, not yet," she said guiltily and looked at her lap. "He was so concerned with other things that I didn't want to worry him any more than he already is."

Tenten took Hinata's hands in hers and looked her straight in the eyes. This young woman was worried and she couldn't share it. In her condition, she was in no position to stress out; it might affect the baby.

"Hinata, you can trust me," she assured her. "After all I've been through, I believe there is nothing that can unsettle me. I will help you. I promise."

Hinata hesitated for a moment. But when she saw the look in Tenten's eyes, she saw her sincerity and honesty. Hinata did trust her, why not tell her?

"The Hyuuga main family has been robbed…"

"Robbed?"

"Yes! I don't know how this all happened, since I don't live there anymore but something very valuable was stolen."

"What was it?"  
"A relic. Much like the Kusanagi, in a way. But our relic is called Yatta no Kagami. It's sort of like a…"

"A mirror," Tenten finished her sentence. All of a sudden she got a burst of déjà vu. She was having a momentary flashback where she saw Kabuto's face in front of her and that weird looking necklace hanging down his neck. And then she knew the truth. But she wasn't sure. She wanted to go home immediately and investigate.

"Hai! A mirror," Hinata confirmed. "But how did you know?"

She looked at Tenten concerned: her friend had 'worry' written all over her face.

"Ummm…," she hesitated a bit. "I have to go."

"Now, Tenten-chan? The meeting's not over yet." And Hinata nodded to the men discussing the problem at hand.

"This is really urgent. If Sasuke's looking for me, tell him that I'm at home. I'll see you soon, okay. You don't stress too much. Think about the baby."

Tenten offered her friend a wink as she stood up from her seat and left the hokage's office. The men were so busy and consumed by the discussion that even Sasuke didn't notice her leave. If he had, he would have sent her home with some escort. After her kidnapping he was convinced that security for her wherever she goes isn't a luxury.

But Tenten preferred to be alone right now; it gave her time to think. There was something she read about the Kusanagi in one of her books. Something about a legend that seems very relevant. She hates it when she couldn't remember something, so she rushed home and went straight to the library where she had stored all her books.

She really didn't know where to start, so she just took all her books from the shelves and searched each one of them. Around 4 o'clock, Sasuke arrived home. She could hear his heavy footsteps walking up the stairs as he was getting closer to the library.

"Tenten," he said when he saw her sitting on the floor, surrounded by books. Her hair was in a mess but to Sasuke, she kinda looked cute that way. Tenten responded to his call by looking up. Sasuke walked up to her and bend down.

"Why didn't you notify me when you left? I was worried."

"I'm sorry, Sasuke. But I had an idea during the meeting. I thought I had a lead. You know, like a motive as to why Kabuto was doing all of this. And then Hinata told me that a family relic was stolen. It was the Yata no Kagami: an ancient mirror. I read about this old legend and I'm trying to find out in which book I read it. And then I remembered this freaky necklace that Kabuto was wearing and…"

"Hey, hey," Sasuke tried to calm her down. "Slow down there tiger." He lifted her chin up so she would look at him.

"I can see that you're tired. Let's have a break and eat something, shall we?"

Tenten smiled at him.

"Okay. Let me just clean up this mess."

"Great. I'll ask Riku to prepare something for us," Sasuke said as he walked out of the library to take a refreshing shower. The meeting exhausted him and some rest and food would do him well.

Tenten started closing up all her books and stack them, when she came across an old story book of hers. It was a fairytale book which her mother used to read to her when she was little. With love in her eyes she picked it up and caressed the cover. All of a sudden she really missed her mom. Out of nostalgia she opened up the book to look at the table of contents. Her fingers aimlessly traveled over the many stories that were written in it. She wanted to close the book when the title of a story caught her eye: "The Magic Armor". Why did that story start to ring a bell? She honestly didn't remember what it was about anymore but her gut told her that that fairytale was the key to everything. She quickly looked up the story:

_"Once upon a time, the moon goddess Kitosana made three very special gifts and gave them to three special families. Each gift had a wonderful magical power and the families used them to protect themselves and their village…"_

Tenten started thinking that this seemed very familiar. She skipped a few pages and read on:

_"One day demons ruled the land. They ate all the villagers' crops and burned down their houses. The villagers were helpless. But the special families weren't afraid. They gathered together and combined their gifts to make a magical armor. An armor so strong and fierce that the demons were defeated very easily. But the power of the armor was prohibited by the goddess. She forgave the deed because she knew they were in danger but she warned them not to recreate the armor. But if they had to, they weren't allowed to use it for too long. Or else the goddess would punish them severely." _

"Oh my god," Tenten whispered. "I think I know what he's up to."

Immediately she went looking through all of her books. She knew that she had one about archeology and that's the one she saw the Kusanagi in. She quickly paged through and found what she was looking for: a few chapters away from the Kusanagi, she saw a drawing of the last gift of the goddess Kitosana, the Yasakani no Magatama. It was the same weird necklace that Kabuto was wearing.

"He's going to recreate the armor," she said to herself.

After the realization had set in, she quickly ran towards Sasuke whom she caught coming out of the shower. When she saw him like that, half naked with only a towel to wrap his intimate parts, she momentarily forgot what she was supposed to do. Sasuke was so muscled, toned and sexy. Who wouldn't fall for a body like that! Anyway…

"Sasuke, I know what Kabuto's up to."

Tenten told Sasuke everything she found out up till now. Even though the theory was based on a fairytale, she was certain that this was the truth. And never had she any inkling that Sasuke doubted her. That made her feel confident. Sasuke had no choice; to him, Tenten's theory was the only thing he got. Especially since they just found out that the Yata no Kagami, the ancient mirror, has recently been stolen. After Tenten left, Hinata had some serious thinking to do. So after the meeting and in front of all those who were present, she confessed to the robbery. At first it seemed irrelevant but after learning that it's also an ancient family relic, everybody was concerned. Nobody knew what that meant but now Sasuke does. He gave Tenten a kiss and rushed to the hokage's tower to notify Naruto.

In the following days, things were becoming very hectic in Konoha. Little by little, the story of the armor was proven to be true; many elders of the Uchiha and Hyuuga clan have confessed to it, saying that their grandparents once told them such a legend. And in no case has it been a friendly one with rainbows and butterflies. The story goes that an emperor had used the power of the armor to conquer many other villages and he reigned with hatred and cruelty. It's been going on for years, but then the moon goddess herself came down to earth to punish the emperor. He was set to flames, as were his loyal followers. The goddess gave mankind another chance and split the armor in three pieces, converging them into seemingly innocent artifacts: a sword, a mirror and a necklace. Now everybody knew the Uchiha's had the sword and the Hyuuga's had the mirror but who did the necklace originally belong to? Shikamaru had hypothesized that it might have been the Uzumaki's, Naruto's forefathers, to have been the rightful owners. The only thing the three families had in common were their eyes; the power of the dojutsu.

Naruto wasn't sure what the scale of the upcoming battle would be because no one alive had ever witnessed the true power of the armor. So, in an effort to gain the upper hand, he asked Gaara, the kazekage and his friend, for assistance. Gaara was skeptical during the briefing of the problem but nonetheless, decided to help his friend. In a few days now, the army will leave for the Nemura coast. Once there, they will start a search party, hoping to find the base of Kabuto's camp. According to Tenten, it must have been underground, so at least they know now where to look and what to expect.

"Hey…" Tenten said softly. She was standing by the bedroom door, looking at Sasuke who was staring out the window. He turned around and replied.

"Evening, beautiful."

Tenten walked towards him and cuddled herself in his arms. Sasuke embraced her and planted a kiss on her forehead.

"Are you ready for tomorrow?" she asked softly. Tomorrow the army would leave to the Nemura coast.

"Yes, I am."

"Come back to me, okay?"

"I promise."

**A/N:** I hope that's enough suspense for ya! Next chapter, more secrets about the armor will be revealed… R&R!


	13. Revelation

Chapter 13 Revelation

**A/N:** It took some time for me to figure out how to describe the events to come. Don't want it to sound stupid; it's very hard to describe action, if you ask me. Before I begin, I'd like to thank you for your reviews. It really does me well. Now, enjoy the story!

**Disclaimer:** Never have I owned Naruto or its characters. I'm just borrowing the names and faces ;)

The army left for the Nemura coast before dawn. It was decided that the army was to be split in many smaller groups, each group leaving at a different time. They wanted to prevent the enemy from suspecting a war. The element of surprise is the card they wanted to play. The first group to go was the leaders-group: Naruto, Gaara, Sasuke, Itachi and Shikamaru. Since all of these members, except for Gaara, have been to the coast before, they wanted to be there first to evaluate and oversee the location. There might be some booby traps awaiting them. And since the first group consisted of highly skilled and powerful ninja (not to mention two jinchuriki's!), no one was worried that any harm would befall them.

It took almost two days for the whole army to arrive at the coast, Sakura's medical team being the last. They have surrounded the coast, each team being about a mile apart from each other. At dusk the group of leaders gathered to discuss their next move.

"So, what do we do now?" Naruto asked, scratching his head stupidly.

"No one knows their whereabouts," Sasuke started. "And according to Tenten, they must be underground. She said it was some kind of temple. There should be some records about a village nearby. Or at least some ruins."

Shikamaru chuckled.

"That's the beauty of war," he said. "A land in constant conflict and battle can never have reliable records. Everything's burned to the ground. But we could do a recon mission."

He looked at Itachi when he said that. After all, the ANBU were perfect people to assign a recon mission to; their training in stealth and combat were excellent attributions.

"I could set my men in motion," he replied calmly. "I assume we're looking for ruins then?"

"I think that's best. Knowing the eyes of the Hyuuga clan, they can also go along, to scan the underground activity. Their eyes should be able to detect something," Gaara commented. "What do you think Naruto?" he asked his friend.

Naruto sat there, listening to the conversation. In his years of being the hokage, he has learned to listen, to evaluate and think things through. One would almost think that Naruto had changed and that he didn't seem like himself. Don't be alarmed; he may still be a dobe at some times but Naruto had surely matured. He hated talking about serious stuff but when it's necessary, he can be the leader his people want him to be. After all, it was his job.

"I think that the recon mission is a great idea," he said assured. "I want all the ANBU members on the field in groups of three: two ANBU and one Hyuuga. They get three days to exploit the area and then come back to report. However, if anything of importance is found, they should report back immediately."

"Itachi," Naruto said, turning towards the Uchiha sibling. "Do you think you can get your men ready for tomorrow?"

"I can see to it that they are," he replied.

"Good. Then they leave at dawn. Shikamaru," Naruto called and looked at the spiky pineapple headed man. "I'll leave you in charge of selecting the Hyuuga's suitable for this mission. Then report them to Itachi. He'll form the groups of three."

"Done," Shikamaru answered.

"The rest of us should stay here," Naruto said to the others with a pensive voice. Not knowing what to expect is really a bitch. "We rest up and prepare for the worst. This meeting's over."

**Tenten**

After Sasuke had left, Tenten couldn't help but feel worried all the time. She had tried distracting herself by taking rides with Phillip but it didn't calm her mind at all.

In the evening, right after she had dinner, a servant came to announce the arrival of the lady Uchiha Mikoto, the former clan leader's wife and her mother-in-law.

Tenten went to the living room to greet her. She smiled when she saw the older woman and bowed when she was close enough.

"Konbanwa, Mikoto-sama," she said politely.

"You be blessed, my dear," Mikoto said, as she stroked Tenten's hair. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. A little worried about Sasuke, that's all."

"We're all a little concerned," Mikoto said understanding. "You have a husband in battle and we have both our sons out there. But don't worry too much. They are very strong and competent boys, they'll be fine."

Tenten smiled. She knew that was true. But she couldn't help her gut feeling that something may not go right. The discovery of the legend of the armor has unsettled her quite a big deal. Perhaps it's because she somehow knew there was more to it than they already know.

Tenten offered Mikoto some cookies and tea and they both sat in the living room enjoying each other's company. They were talking about casual things: duties of a wife, nasty habits that Sasuke had and many other subjects. It felt nice to talk to her like that and it made Tenten forget her worries for a moment. Instead, this reminded her of her own mother. How she missed her.

"Tenten, darling," Mikoto said to her. She sounded a little serious, judging by the sound of her voice and the way she had put her teacup down. It was almost like she was going to reveal something of great meaning.

"There is something I want to tell you," Mikoto continued. Tenten felt her heartbeat rising inside her chest and her throat. Is it something terrible? Especially because Sasuke's out there, probably getting ready for battle, anything could make her tense very easily. She tightened her grip on her teacup, which didn't go unnoticed.

"My god, child," Mikoto reacted, chuckling. "Calm down. I'm not here to give you bad news. Now put the cup down before you shatter it and harm yourself."

Tenten chuckled uneasily and did as she was told. She folded her hands in her lap and awaited Mikoto's announcement.

"Now," Mikoto started. "It has been tradition that you were there during the ritual of the Kusanagi that night. One other tradition has been postponed to show you because of the recent unfortunate events and I'm here to fulfill that tradition. Actually, the clan leader is the one to do this but he requested me to do it for him. Sasuke thought, for some reason, that you might find it fascinating. And he didn't know when he'd be coming back, so he asked me to give you the tour."

"Tour?"

"Yes. When a man becomes the Uchiha clan leader, he moves into the main Uchiha mansion with his wife – if he has one. Seeing that you already did, I assume you are aware of this tradition."

Tenten nodded.

"Because you were married to Sasuke before he became clan leader, you have had the privilege to witness the ritual of the Kusanagi. I assume you know the rules about that event?"

"Yes, I do," Tenten confirmed. "No one is allowed to see it. It's been kept secret for a long time and one must prove their loyalty to the Uchiha clan before being allowed to witness. Anyone who gives away the location of the Kusanagi was to be killed."

"Excellent!" Mikoto exclaimed. "Sasuke has informed you well.

To continue: after a new clan leader has been appointed, he can now show his wife the hidden location of the Kusanagi. She has the right to know but in case of betrayal, she will be severely punished, which you are already familiar with."

Tenten swallowed hard; that last part really didn't sound too appealing.

"Well then," Mikoto said smiling. "I am here to give you a tour to the Kusanagi's hiding. It may not be here but Sasuke really wanted you to see it. He said you had a thing for archeology."

"Anthropology, actually," Tenten corrected her. Even though serious matters were going on at the Nemura coast, the Kusanagi's hiding got her very excited. Especially because she knew that Sasuke knew that she studied anthropology. If he thinks the hiding will fascinate her, than it must be one heck of a hiding place.

Tenten followed Mikoto to the basement of the house.

_'Ahh,'_ Tenten thought. _'Into the depths of the basement. It always has to be in the basement.'_

At the end of it, there was a shelf with many tools on top. Mikoto picked up a screwdriver and miraculously, the wall moved away. It all looked cliché to Tenten, although the mechanism of the screwdriver surprised her a bit; it has always been a book and it was never as simple as picking up a screwdriver. When she walked by the secret door, Tenten stopped and stared at the screwdriver for a moment.

_'It doesn't seem attached to anything at all,'_ she thought. _'How did it actually open the door?'_

She snapped out of her thoughts when she realized that Mikoto was going ahead without her, so she sprinted behind the older woman to catch up. They ended up in a staircase, leading downwards. The farther from the entrance they were, the darker it got. Eventually, Mikoto took a torch which was placed at the side of the wall, made a fire ball with her mouth, and lit it. Smiling, she turned to Tenten and said: "You don't have any ninja skills whatsoever, so make sure you bring a lighter or matches every time you come down here, okay?"

Tenten nodded and followed the former clan leader's wife further down the stairs.

Finally, after about ten minutes of stairs, they reached the end and came upon a room with a giant Buddha statue made of pure gold and adorned with gems of different colors.

"Oh my god," Tenten said in awe. The statue was amazing! It would've probably been a huge archeological find. She quickly went towards the statue and looked at its detail. She came to the conclusion that it was probably over 5000 years old, judging by the craftsmanship and the minute detailing. Especially the gems on the statue made it look so magnificent: it was fancied with stones in colors she has never seen before.

Mikoto looked at Tenten, smiling. She can tell now why Sasuke thought that she would find the Kusanagi's hiding a feat to look at. She walked over to the amazed girl and pushed her aside gently. She needed Tenten to see what she was about to do next:

Mikoto stood in front of the statue of Buddha. He was in a sitting position, his legs folded in each other, one hand on his knee and the other with the inside of his palm faced towards the one in front of him, as if he was gently greeting or blessing the visitor. Buddha had his eyes closed and a calm smile on his lips. Mikoto bowed to the statue, placed the inside of her palm in that of Buddha, as if she was about to hold hands with him and then pressed down a giant ruby near Buddha's feet. Suddenly Tenten felt a little tremor, almost like those you feel when a big truck with a heavy load goes by. Tenten kept her eyes on the statue and she noticed that Buddha was decapitated! She gasped and put her hands in front of her mouth. He was decapitated all right, but his head seems to be hovering above his body instead of falling down and obeying the rules of gravity. After some more tremors, Buddha also lost his limbs, one by one, each limb moving farther away from the body. When in the end, everything was displaced, the body moved downwards, opening a secret room in the back. That's where Mikoto walked in. Tenten followed her a little hesitantly but stopped at the entrance and wanted to touch the mysterious statue. How did this door work? How could Mikoto open it by doing such simple things? What kind of mechanism was build into the statue? She was so amazed by it and forgot what she was doing down here.

"Hut, hut, hut," Mikoto said to Tenten. She spoke as if she were punishing a toddler. "Don't wonder about how it works, Tenten. Just let it be. Some things are not meant to be understood."

"Hai, Mikoto-sama," Tenten said, whilst nodding. She followed her deeper inside the room. It was very dark in here; the torch that Mikoto was holding was their only source of light and Tenten clung her vision to its light like a baby would his mother. Mikoto went to the walls on all sides of the room and lit several torches there. What Tenten saw next was (to her) even more impressive than the giant golden Buddha statue: the walls were covered in ancient Japanese writing. It was so old and primitive that it almost looked like cuneiform**. **At the end of the room, rested a stand and on top of that the same stone box that she remembered from the Kusanagi ritual in which the family relic was kept.

Mikoto smiled contently. It made her happy to see that Tenten was enjoying herself.

"Well," she said when she noticed that Tenten was getting giddier by the moment. "I'll leave you be. But I'll be back after awhile. There are some things that need to be done before this place can close up again. Have fun, Tenten."

Tenten thanked her and went back to the writings on the walls. She tried to decipher it; the stories it may tell are priceless! Curiosity was taking the better of her and it was strangling her with lack of knowledge. When she realized that translating everything wouldn't be possible any time soon, she sighed and looked at the only object in the room which she hadn't paid much attention to: the stone box. She walked up the stand and looked at the box carefully. In the light of the torches, the box seems to be glittering. It wasn't much to look at (it was just a plain stone box with no writings on it or figures decorating it) but something was drawing her towards it. It's almost as if the box was a magnet that demanded her attention. Tenten wondered whether she should touch the box. The last time she touched its inhabitant, she had lost consciousness. She could still remember the feeling of her body slowly being drained from its energy. She shivered at the though. Who knew, she might end up dead if she touched it again. But that wasn't the only thing in her mind. She rationalized her curiosity to touch it by saying to herself that only the Kusanagi was able to suck out energy. Surely, its box didn't posses such a power.

Slowly, taken over by her need for knowledge, Tenten carefully laid a finger on the box. Suddenly she saw a faint glitter coming from the stone material. Tenten was surprised and wanted to pull her finger away, but it seemed like it was stuck to it forever. Shockingly, Tenten noticed that her hand started moving, even though she didn't command it to! In the end she held the box firmly in both hands (Yes, both her hands were disobeying her). Tenten started to panic and wanted to scream. She was sure that holding the box like that would kill her and in her opinion she was too young and childless to be leaving earth.

Before Tenten could yell for help, her whole vision was blocked by a shining, bright, white light. Slowly, the light faded and she found herself in a different setting than the Kusanagi's hiding. She saw people walking around with kimono's, dressed in the fashion of many, many, many years ago.

_'I must be having another one of those visions again,'_ Tenten thought. Instead of talking to the villagers walking by the street, she simply followed her gut, without paying attention to anyone. After all, they couldn't see her.

_'Might as well enjoy the past of the Kusanagi before I die,'_ she argued.

At first, the people of the village seem to be walking around, going about their regular business, when suddenly, everybody seems to be cringing out of fear and then running away. Because Tenten had no audio of what she was seeing, she had no idea what was happening in the beginning. When she looked around, she saw a big black cloud of smoke coming from another part of the village. People were running around like panicked cattle and a sense of hopelessness came over her. It was almost like they knew this was going to happen and now that it finally did, their fear was consuming them.

However, Tenten did see some brave faces; people storming outside with swords in their hands. They were probably the village's protectors and were about to face battle. Tenten followed them; she needed or wanted to know who or what the threat was. She had to do her best to catch up to them; they were fast runners. But when she eventually reached the battle field, she was shocked. It almost looked like a nuclear bomb had exploded: the blast had unearthed many trees, leaving behind a giant crater and smoke. And in the center of it all is where the action is. Because of the smoke, Tenten didn't see much but when it cleared, she was shocked to find out that there was only one enemy. But this single enemy is what made her gasp. He was surrounded by some bright kind of aura that one would have the impression that one was fighting against a god. Inside the aura was a human being in full traditional Samurai armor, complete with that scary helmet (**A/N:** think of **_'The Last Samurai'_**). Because of it, she wasn't sure if the wielder was male or female but something told her it was a man.

She saw how the villagers desperately tried to defend their home but to no prevail. Everything that was even close to touching that mysterious aura was either disintegrated or bounced off. Some warriors tried to launch themselves at the intruder but the aura burned them severely. And it was almost like the enemy knew what was coming at him; he fought off sneak attacks with ease and conveniently dodged others. But the object that attracted most of her attention: was the sword in his hands. It seems like it was on fire but this time the fire was blue-ish white. It almost looked like a chakra blade, which she had seen Sasuke use before. That sword was destructive. Everything it touched was consumed by fire or cut in pieces. Nothing, so it seems, could break that sword and nothing could get past it. Tenten walked closer to the man in the Samurai armor; she wanted to see the sword up close. She knew it wouldn't harm her: all the warriors running around would go right past her, just like the thrown kunai's and shuriken. When she was close enough, the enemy quickly turned his head to her. Tenten was startled; it was almost as if he was seeing her, staring her down with big eyes hidden behind a mask. Tenten hesitated a bit but she talked herself into looking at the sword better, saying to herself that he could impossibly have seen her. And there it was: the same guard with the woman, dragon and warrior engraved in it and most importantly: its name was engraved on the blade.

"The Kusanagi…," Tenten whispered.

Slowly, realization stepped in. Tenten bounced back immediately and fell on her buttocks. With awe, she gazed at the man in the Samurai armor. This wasn't just any enemy or form of defense; this was the famed armor from the stories and legends!

And then suddenly, Tenten was sucked into another time frame. She found herself inside a temple (a very familiar one), surrounded by people. At the center, stood a middle aged man and seeing that he was dressed differently and treated with much respect, she assumed he was their leader. He stood in front of three floating objects: a mirror, a necklace and a sword.

_'Oh my god,' _Tenten thought amazed._ 'This must be the bonding ritual.'_

In silence, Tenten watched on. The people seem to be chanting something, so was their leader. At a certain point, he picked up the necklace and put it around his neck. Then he took the mirror in his left hand and the sword in his right. He seems to be yelling out something, while holding the artifacts above his head. A bright light shone down from an opening at the top of the temple. It seems to have emanated from the full moon. The light literally bathed the leader in white and slowly she saw that the necklace sunk into his chest and was replaced by a bright aura surrounding him. The mirror broke in two: each piece shrunk into a very small object and merged with the man's eyes. And at last, the sword caught fire and was glistening brighter than before. The man's regular clothes also changed into the Samurai armor and that's when the transformation was complete. The light coming from the moon stopped and for a moment, everybody was quiet. Slowly, Tenten saw them get excited and soon everybody was jumping with joy.

_(Sucked into a different timeframe.)_

A bloody battle is what she saw; many dead shinobi's scattered all over the battle field. The splashes of water on her feet turn out to be little pools of blood. She didn't dare go much further; the damage was painful. She could feel their fears, their hope, the tears of their wives and children. Tenten was close to breaking down: the sorrow was intense! She fell to her knees and started sobbing. But all of a sudden she felt a bright light, some kind of hope, a salvation to the horror. She looked around her, trying to find the people's hope, when she saw a lady walking up the battlefield.

She was dressed in white and her skin was so radiant, that it seemed to be light itself. There was a certain flow to her when she walked: it was as if she was moving through water, her hair and clothes flowing behind her. As she came closer to Tenten, she saw that her eyes were missing the normal elements of an iris and pupil. Instead, she had bright white eyes, almost blue-ish. Her hair was of a grey color, long and silky. Her face was expressionless and she walked effortlessly through the bodies and pools of blood. In fact: her feet didn't even touch the ground! It was like she was hovering above it. In her hand she had a dagger, small but seemingly sharp. When the lady passed Tenten, she could feel two entities inside of her. One being that of the woman, and the other being of imaginable, glorified energy. It was like the woman has shared her body with a god. Or in this case, the goddess Kitosana.

Slowly, the lady walked towards the enemy in the Samurai armor. The man himself turned a bit uneasy at the sight of her. He obviously felt threatened because he started attacking her, throwing kunai's and doing jutsu's. He even tried swinging the Kusanagi at her. But the lady just waved the attacks away like flies. As she came closer, her pace quickened. In the end, she nearly ran towards the guy, penetrating the white blue-ish aura around him without burning herself. She stabbed the man in the armor with the dagger. He collapsed from the impact, his helmet rolling off his face. His expression suggested pure agony, while the lady remained expressionless. When she swiftly removed the dagger, the brightness of the armor came out of his wound. Slowly, the glow that surrounded him disappeared, just like the white blue-ish field around him. When he stopped glowing, his armor was the last thing to go. The necklace came out of his chest, the mirror out of his eyes and returned to its normal size and the Kusanagi lost its flames. Finally, the man collapsed to the ground and remained there, presumably dead. As expressionless as ever, the lady looked at him mercilessly. She picked up the three artifacts and threw them in the air, where they returned to their rightful owners. Then she looked at the full moon, both her palms pointed towards the heavens. Her body floated upwards a bit and, just like the man in the armor, her glow left her. Like a beam shooting towards the moon.

When Tenten looked closer, that wasn't the only thing that happened. When the extraction of the glow was nearing its end, the lady started to disintegrate. When the last of the light returned to the moon, she was gone.

Tenten couldn't believe what had happened. But she did know what it meant. When she turned around, to head back to the village, she heard and eerie sound behind her. Tenten looked around her, and saw that the beam of light from the moon shone on her. All she could see was bright white light. She felt her body getting heavy and that strangely enough, something was being put in her. The pressure she felt was overwhelming and she fell on her knees. When the light finally stopped, and her surroundings became clear once again, she suddenly knew everything. Then her vision turned pitch black.

_'I know what to do,'_ she thought as the darkness consumed her.

**A/N:** this story will probably last about two more chapters and end with an epilogue. I hope you've enjoyed it so far. Review please! I'm planning on writing another fic with a love triangle ;) Look out for it!


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